#and of course the action scenes are good as well

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to make a fic or writing longer how to add stuff without making it boring

Writing Ideas: Adding Details to your Story

Keep engaging the reader every few pages. Do not spend the first act introducing your characters. Let the reader discover your characters as they are catapulted into the concept. Let the reader learn their motivations and arcs as they are bombarded by the conflict that you are hopefully throwing them into from the get-go. Let there be a mystery to it. Why show your whole hand when you can keep a reader invested and engaged by slowly peeling away the layers of the character as they deal with the conflict and overall concept? Continue to build and build and build, whether it’s with the laughs, the drama, the screams, the mystery, the thrills, the action, etc. Offer as many twists and turns as you can. Lead that reader towards something, only to pull the rug out from underneath them just when they feel that they know where you’re going with it.

The HCM Plotting Method

List the Heart-Clutching Moments you’ve already thought of—you know, those pivotal points in your story that will evoke all the intensity of that “look behind you!” response in your readers.

Think of more.

Construct your story around them. Don’t focus on your loosely formed storyline. Focus on the key points in your story.

What Is an HCM? Some examples:

Love at first sight (Marius Pontmercy meets Cosette)

A huge moral lapse (Judas takes the money)

Murder (Miles Archer’s sets Sam Spade in motion)

Death by other means (Injun Joe starves to death in the cave)

A refusal of grace (Mayella Ewell sticks to her story in spite of taking the courtroom oath)

Nature gone wild (shark dines on first recreational swimmer)

Someone standing up to corruption (Shane picks up his gun again)

A change of heart, for good or ill (Michael Corleone offers to kill Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey)

An act of depraved violence (Bill Sykes cudgels Nancy)

Betrayal (Sandy puts a stop to her mentor Jean Brodie)

Forgiveness (Melanie insists Scarlett join her in the receiving line)

A revelation (Pip’s secret benefactor is none other than … !)

HCMs can be active, whole scenes. Some examples:

A lifesaving attempt

A chase

A battle

A seduction

A caper

Make a list of Heart-Clutching Moments and put them on index cards in rough order. Then you can build an outline based on any form you desire, be it classical drama, farce, or anything in between. If you get stuck, do any of the following:

Start writing one of your HCM scenes. Immediately the scene itself should prompt ideas, perhaps for new courses of action or even new characters.

Write deeper into an HCM scene you’ve written already. You’ll likely find yourself coming up with bridges between scenes—and thinking of more elements to enhance your story.

Look for places to add conflict, suffering, or frustration.

Example: Shakespeare wanted to take Macbeth from conquering hero to murderous traitor whose decapitation at the hands of one of his countrymen is the only possible, imaginable end.

How does he do it? Reread the play and you’ll realize that one HCM leads to the next, fast and furious: The witches’ stunning prophecies, Macbeth’s realization that he could be king, his wife’s corrupt ambition, one murder, two more murders, and more upon that, and prophesy again, and insanity, and suicide … all in the space of 98 pages!

Introduce a ticking clock. A ticking clock is an important element that ramps up pressure on your characters and piques your readers’ curiosity as to how your protagonist can possibly succeed. Set up big promises and obstacles early in a narrative and layer in a time crunch to make a character’s predicament seem dire.

Weave subplots into your narrative. Use subplots effectively to add variety and texture to your narrative and explore characters and backstory. When used well, subplots can artfully pose and answer key questions and flesh out characters.

Add dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is one of the many literary devices that can keep your reader engaged and increase the suspense. If a reader is aware of impending plot points that your characters are not, you can foreshadow plot twists and raise questions in your reader’s mind as to how your characters will deal with the trouble that lies ahead.

Invest in the details. Good writing generally contains sensory details and specific observations that remind readers of real life. A longer story can be much more powerful and less boring with detailed descriptions of the environment in which it takes place.

Open loops. This expands a bit on the idea of hooks and page-turning chapter endings, but the concept here is much broader. Basically the idea is to open boxes … and then take your sweet time in getting around to closing them. If you’re interested in a situation and the story cuts that situation off without resolving it, you’ll do that OH COME ON thing and then keep reading. You can’t rest until you close the loop. So if the story is well-told, you’ll just keep looking for that dropped loop … even if it takes chapters to pay off. It takes many chapters to find out what did happen, and your readers just keep blasting through them, cursing us all the while.

Relentless pacing. Take your time and meander when writing your book. What happens, happens, and try not to rush it. Characters talk and the reader learns plot points. On the contrary, let your readers keep asking, “What happens next?” The answer to that question needs to be exciting. Threatening. Maybe violent. Don't let your characters have much time to catch their breath, because the goal is to keep your readers breathless.

Learning from the Classics. Some Examples:

Armadale by Wilkie Collins, 1864 - Armadale was regarded by author T.S. Eliot as "the best of [his] romances" and includes Lydia Gwilt, a character considered as one of the most astonishing wicked female villains in literature. Drawing on scandalous newspaper headlines, Collins creates a story of confused identities, inherited curses, romantic rivalries, espionage, and murder – making for an action-packed 752 pages.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, translated by Norman Denny, 1862 - Adapted into one of the most successful musicals of all time, Les Misérables’ running time in London’s West End is an impressive 2 hours 50 minutes. But for a more immersive experience, try the original novel – a full 1,232 pages of injustice, heroism, and love in 19th-century France.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, 1846 - (1,240 pages) On the day of his wedding, Edmond Dantes, master mariner, is arrested in Marseille on trumped-up charges and spirited away to the cellars of the Chateau d'If, an impregnable sea fortress in which he is imprisoned indefinitely. Escaping from the chateau by a series of daring manoeuvres, he unearths a great treasure on the island of Monte Cristo, buried there by a former fellow prisoner who bequeaths to him the secret of its whereabouts. Thus armed with unimaginable wealth and embittered by his long imprisonment, he resolves to devote his life to tracking down and punishing those responsible.

Ulysses by James Joyce, 1922 - It is one thing to write a novel of 1,040 pages, but quite another to dedicate the entire page count to one single day. Ulysses follows characters Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom and his wife Molly across a day in their lives in 1904 Dublin. Dedalus and Bloom, who are are unaware of each other, are trying to find a missing loved one: the former, his long-lost father, and Bloom, despite being childless, for a son.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, 1869 - (1,225 pages) At a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon's army marches on Russia, and the lives of three young people are changed forever. The stories of quixotic Pierre, cynical Andrey and impetuous Natasha interweave with a huge cast, from aristocrats and peasants to soldiers and Napoleon himself. In War and Peace, Tolstoy entwines grand themes - conflict and love, birth and death, free will and faith - with unforgettable scenes of nineteenth-century Russia, to create a magnificent epic of human life in all its imperfection and grandeur.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs ⚜ On Pacing

Here are some tips and ideas I found from different sources. Choose which ones you would like to incorporate in your story. Hope this helps with your writing!

[dock57]

[I remember when we got some dialogue for this scene on Patreon. Before the episode finally aired, you only got snips of this scene. However, even with what little you got- it was a pretty close call to say that Queen Tyneen was talking about Shrike.

I think about this scene a lot. I mention in a post some time ago how Beebs is treated with more respect than Shrike is. It seems like that anyone who knows Shrike, treats him as a loser. Even though Tyneen is trashing on Shrike, you can tell that she also finds Beebs to be better than him. That Beebs should be finding others of similar level or respect than keeping Shrike along.

Its implied here by Tyneen that Shrike is seen as a mistake- but also just a good no individual. Like Tyneen is smiling here, having some positivity that Shrike is gone. As if Beebs is better off without him. That with Shrike gone, not only would Beebs' issues be resolved, but everyone else as well. Shrike seems to be a common target to get rid of- mostly due to being 'unless' or a obstacle to others.

It is hard to tell exactly how Beebs does feel about Shrike. We have yet to really get an explanation of how the two met. There has so far been no reference if Beebs ever worked for LAW before- I think if he did, Ricket would know him too- but Ricket is new to Beebs as well, as he doesn't even know his name- referring him to "Beard." Its interesting though, you can see how Beebs actually seems to be- frighten by that idea? I'm not the best at describing, but his expression tells me the idea of cutting off Shrike like that might hurt him as well. Beebs seems to even be disappointed when saying that Shrike is off doing his own thing.

Then you have Tyneen going off- like how could anyone stand keeping Shrike around? Why would anyone want to? It makes me wonder if Tyneen knew Shrike from the past as well- was she also a former LAW member who used to work along Shrike? It feels like its implied here that Tyneen once worked with Shrike as well and knows that he can be quite. a Nuisance.

This does make me curious- and I hope we get to some back story for this- how Tyneen and Ricket do know Shrike. Were they on a team together? I mean how bad was Shrike that Tyneen finds Ricket to better to keep around? As we also know she calls him a loser on the way out too. I know that Shrike wearing the Red Suit is a giving that he was a LAW enforcer, but, this also implies that Tyneen knew Shrike when he was in action with LAW.

Not going to lie, that line hurt me too. Shrike is seen to be so pathetic to others like Tyneen to call him a Leech who is surviving off of Beebs. Though, I can also see why she said that too as so far, without Beebs, Shrike wouldn't really be alive... Beebs have so far pulled Shrike through a lot of their contracts and ordeals they have face. I think about Us & Them. If Beebs was not there, really none of them, especially Shrike, would have not made it...

Of course we do not really have anything on Tyneen and her past. So when she mentions this, I wonder... probably a out of pocket theory, is it possibly that she was a Enforcer Commander before becoming a pirate? As in a commander of her own squad and Shrike and Beebs was originally a part of it? So she got first hand experience of what Shrike was like? Maybe she cut him off in the past?

Oh but this line got to me back in the previews. I actually was afraid at the end of this episode that Beebs was going to cut off Shrike, but there has to be a good reason why Beebs likes him. Probably one of my few fan moments of "You better NOT" and was afraid that was going to happen- or

its still to come... I will not be looking forward to that.

Anyway, this one hurt me. Like I said before, Tyneen sees Shrike to be unless, a nothing, a waste of space, and she's trying to convince Beebs to see him the same way and get rid of him. Tyneen sees Beebs to be better than Shrike, and its interesting, because in the same episode we do watch as Shrike does praise Beebs and Shrike compares himself to be the mess, not Beebs. Though, Shrike was drunk as well but, I think he was being genuine. Its so interesting to me how different the two are treated. To his own Kind, Beebs is seen lesser but seems to be more respected by other species, while Shrike? No matter where he is or was, no one seems to respect him. I think about this scene a lot.

I think about Shrike. I just wonder what he has gone through? I wonder what he has done for others to not change their opinion on him? What he has done to be look so down upon? I wonder if Tyneen has made Beebs changed his mind on Shrike, or considers ditching him too?

I think sometimes I see a bit of myself in Shrike. I understand that feeling. Living like no one wants you or feeling like nothing. You're just a mess up, trying to correct your ways or make it better, but in the end, you mess it up even more. You just want to feel like a space in this world, and maybe just want one person to make you feel like you are needed in this world too.

[nymphaea-blue]

Oneshot - A date with Rafayel.

Info : 900+ word count, possible grammar errors (this was written at 11pm.), reader and Rafayel are in a relationship, very cute fluff, mention of worries/insecurity about self worth, small mention of alcohol.

“Rafayel, are we getting close now?” You asked as your lover guided you to an unknown place, one of his hands gently placed over your eyes to keep you from peeking as his other hand made sure to guide you along the path, so you wouldn’t get hurt.

“Almost, be patient, cutie.” He responded simply and after a few more moments, he stopped and moved around you, you could just hear his footsteps, the wind and… the sea?

“Okay, you can open your eyes.” Rafayel gave you the go ahead and as you opened your eyes, your breath almost got stolen. You were on the beach, the one by his house, but it looked different now. The moonlight was shining down onto the table that was set up, with two chairs and a few dishes arranged alongside candlelights. The dock was dressed in cute lights and rose petals, it looked like a scene from a dream.

“Oh, Rafayel, this is wonderful.. you did this all for me?” You asked, almost not believing what you saw.

“‘Course I did, who else would it be for? Now come on, take a seat, it won’t bite you.” He nodded, he was happy that you liked his surprise, that’s all he wanted to see after all, you being happy. He pulled out the seat for you and then pulled it in as you sat down.

The dishes all looked so good and they were fresh too, you knew from the steam coming from them and the amazing smell. It was a few seafood dishes, as well as some pasta and some of your favorite comfort dishes and drinks. He really seemed to think all of it through.

As Rafayel made a plate for you and himself, you couldn’t help but admire the wonderful sights. The moon was shining brightly, the waters were calm and they reflected all the lights and the moon perfectly, making for a romantic atmosphere. Rafayel himself looked quite striking too, even more than usual. He wore a suit, which was typically reserved for more special occasions but his tie was colourful and playful, like his personality. 

The both of you soon started eating and the food was as good as it looked, it was a perfect meal for a night like this, it warmed you up a little and put you in a good mood.

“Mmh, this is delicious! Did you make it yourself?”

“I did, I made all the seafood dishes!... Some of the food here is our favourite takeout though, I hope you don’t mind.”

After your first course, Rafayel stepped aside for a moment so you took the time to walk along the dock. You were left thinking for a while as you reached the end of the dock, did you miss an anniversary? Was it your birthday? Did something important happen on this day? Because the surprise was wonderful though it left you wondering what was the reason for it.

You didn’t have much time to ponder about it as soon you heard soft classical music playing and Rafayel stood alongside you.

“Enjoying the scenery?” He asked as he gently wrapped his arms around your form and brought you closer to him, a faint blush present on his face alongside his signature smile.

“Yeah, it’s really wonderful, you outdid yourself! Can I ask, what’s the occasion though?” You smiled and leaned your forehead against his in an act of affection.

“Does there have to be a reason? I just thought that we both worked really hard lately and I missed spending time with you, so I decided to treat you a little.” He answered with a smile, his eyes, full of love and adoration, were focused on you. It was touching really, how he organized a date for no reason because he wanted to get closer to you and make you feel happy, but that was just Rafayel for you, your playful, loveable, boyfriend.

“Really? You didn’t have to, I would be happy even if we just sat down on the couch in your studio, you know that, right?” You felt a little surprised but also so charmed by that simple action. It was cute how he thought of doing this for you but you also were a little worried, he worked so hard on this, but did you really deserve it?

“I know, but I wanted to spoil you, you deserve it, my love.” He gently took one of your hands that was previously by your side and intertwined your fingers, before placing the hand on his heart. You could feel how fast it was beating, all for you.

“If I can make you feel better by spending a little money and time on preparing this, then why wouldn’t I do it? There is nothing I love more than having you next to me, there doesn’t need to be a reason for this.” The soft feeling of his hand on yours, his fingers gently brushing against your knuckles and that gentle smile seemed to make your worries almost disappear. 

Rafayel then gently leaned for a kiss, but stopped a millimeter away from your lips. He looked at you with half lidded eyes for a moment, and you could notice the gentle freckles on his face, before he finally put his lips on yours when he saw your expression, and it was as if time stopped.

The rest of the night was full of laughs, good food and wine and after this date, there were many more to come, because in Rafayels mind - there didn’t need to be a reason to make his most precious person in the entire world happy.

[letupabit]

An alternative torment

A/N: This pic takes place during the Thanos/Myung-gi bathroom fight scene, but for story purposes I changed up the dialogue and scenario :) This was so much fun to write! I tried to keep the characters as accurate as possible, sorry if it goes off course a lil! Hope you enjoy my lovelies!

Summary: Based off of a request from @saturnzskyzz, Thanos and Nam-gyu discover and exploit an entertaining weakness of the very person who brought them to the games- 'MG coin'. Ler!Thanos and Nam-gyu, Lee!Myung-gi (player 333).

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Unlike previously hosted games, the latest bout had implemented a new feature- the ability for players to choose to cut the experience short and go home with the money accumulated thus far, split equally between them. They had this opportunity after every game, a small mercy for those not wanting to leave the facility in a gift-wrapped coffin. To somebody outside looking in, the prospect of being able to leave with your life as well as a sizeable cash prize sounded like the perfect way out; however, a lot of the players who actually had to live this nightmare weren’t convinced.  For most of them, the shared amount wouldn’t even have been close to paying off their debts, and they’d already gotten so far- why stop now?

After every game, the lucky contestants who had survived would approach a podium with a red X to leave, and a blue O to continue. Once the player had made their choice they would be given a Velcro badge with their corresponding group, and were then free to return to their beds.

Thanos and Nam-gyu, two friends who had voted to stay, glowered at their voting teammate as the red light of the ‘X’ button illuminated his face. Thanos intuitively felt his hand come up to his blue badge, thumbing the seamed fabric. 

‘I can’t believe Min-su betrayed us like that, man’ he muttered, half to himself and half to Nam-gyu, who was glaring daggers toward the other side of the room. 

‘You know he only did it because of that bitch, Se-mi. I knew she’d mess things up one way or another’ Nam-gyu scoffed without looking away from his former teammate, who was trying his best not to catch his eye.  The fact Min-su stood facing away from him got the black-haired man even angrier- did he think he was too good for them now or something?

The rest of the voting went as smoothly as one would expect with a few hundred debt-filled lives on the line. It ended in a draw, much to the ‘O’ side’s favour, as this meant the games carried on. Neither team had actually won, and yet it was undeniable that the players who voted ‘O’ felt as if they had anyway.

But this wasn’t good enough for Thanos and Nam-gyu. 

They knew that after the next game, the votes could very well change. It wouldn’t be unrealistic for even one more player to vote ‘X’ and sway the minds of the other players who had previously voted to stay. The majority of people in the games were just scared and unsure, and it was more than likely that they’d side with the majority- herd mentality was a powerful thing in times like these. 

At least, this is the conclusion Thanos came to. He made sure to spread this ideology to his remaining teammates, and Nam-gyu, being the suck-up he was, went along with it without question. Between the two, they decided the best course of action was to corner Min-su in the bathroom away from the prying eyes of the guards in an attempt to get him to change his mind.

‘I’m sorry, boy!’ Shouted Thanos as he banged his fists on the bathroom stall of which Min-su was occupying. ‘I know you don’t really want this, right? One more game and we’ll be set for life’  Meanwhile Nam-gyu was hanging halfway over the walls of said bathroom stall. ‘Come on, Min-su. Just one more game, okay?’ he said with false sincerity- and then when there was no reply, ‘c’mere!’ And Min-su felt his heart drop as Nam-gyu started to climb further over the wall, reaching out for him.

He went to rush out the door, only to be met by Thanos who’d been waiting for him. He felt himself forced back into the stall, the purple-haired man cornering him as his friend watched from above. 

‘Look, I’m sorry if you felt pressured- but you shouldn’t have betrayed us like that. It really hurt my feelings- I’m so fucking ANGRY, man!’

Min-su held his breath, not knowing what was to come next- until he heard a voice from outside the cubicle.

‘Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Trying to get more votes by force, huh?’ Thanos turned around at this, coming face to face with the very person who brought him here- Myung Gi. Or, as he knew him, MG coin.

Immediately Thanos felt his anger at Min-su redirected towards Myung-gi. He wouldn’t even be in this situation if it weren’t for him and his shitty advice. 

‘What’s made you so bold, huh?’ He sneered. Meanwhile Nam-gyu dropped from his position atop the cubicle wall and went to stand by his side. Thanos continued, his body language stiff and hostile. ‘Tryna scam me again?’

Myung-gi scoffed and rolled his eyes. ‘It’s not my fault you’re here. Maybe if you didn’t rely so much on the words of others’ he cast his eyes toward Nam-gyu before looking back at Thanos, ‘you’d be in a better position right now’

Thanos seethed at this. How dare this poser insinuate anything about him? And the audacity to not even take responsibility for him having to play these games- which in his mind, was absolutely Player 333’s fault.

Min-su had slipped past the druggie pair, using the conflict as a distraction, making a quick escape completely unnoticed. Meanwhile, Thanos and Myung-gi were practically nose to nose, the tension rising by the minute. Nam-gyu stood behind his friend, prepared to jump into action; honestly, he’d been so bored despite the prospect of death at every corner. A fight that was practically a guaranteed win seemed appealing.

‘Come on, man. It’s two against one- and this time that old-timer isn’t here to save your ass’. Thanos remarked with a nasty smirk, feeling ten foot tall.  He’d been waiting to get his own back ever since he got here, and now there was nothing to get in his way.

Myung-gi felt a sense of unease and, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, fear. As stupid as these two were, it was true that there was nobody else around to help him out, and he didn’t fancy his chances if it came to a 2-v-1. His eyes darted from Thanos to Nam-gyu, both looking at him the same way a fox would look at a bunny. He swallowed thickly, the gravity of the situation setting in. 

But he couldn’t show fear. Not to these two. They’d tear him apart for as long as he had to put up with them in these cruel games. 

So he decided to bluff. Fake it till you make it, right?

‘Tch, whatever. I’m not wasting anymore of my time with you morons’ he brushed past them, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief as they allowed him to do so with surprisingly little pushback. Maybe they were all bark and no bite? ‘Especially a moron who forgets his own lyrics’

A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and span him round. Oops. Maybe he shouldn’t have said that…

‘That’s it, MG coin’ hissed Thanos sarcastically. ‘I am taking you out of these games myself’ Behind him Nam-gyu looked giddy with excitement, although stayed quiet. 

Thanos shoved Myung-gi until he was up against the tiled walls of the bathroom, his face twisted with undeniable rage. He felt a flash of satisfaction as he caught a glimpse of genuine panic on Myung-gi’s face. 

‘Get off me you asshole!’ Shouted the former cryptocurrency trader, his hands coming up to push the furious man away. Thanos went to grab Myung-gi’s wrists, but in the chaos of the pre-scuffle he missed, instead unintentionally grabbing his sides instead. On instinct he made a squeezing motion with his hands, determined not to let this weasel wriggle his way out of this, a rush of adrenaline shooting through him as he saw a wince of pain on his opponents fac- wait. That wasn’t pain, that was…a smile?

‘What the hell is so funny, MG coin? Are you really that arrogant as to smile at a time like this?’ He squeezed his hands even tighter in an attempt to intimidate him and reinforce the fact that he had no chance of escape- but was he smiling again? Even bigger than before?

‘Answer me you bastard!’ His grip on Myung-gi tightened even more and this time he actually heard something that resembled a giggle. 

And then it clicked.

Thanos, without removing or loosening his grip, barked out a laugh of disbelief. Nam-gyu, who had also connected the dots, raised his hand to his face and chuckled into his fist, his eyebrows raised. 

‘No way, man’ Thanos turned to Nam-gyu as they shared an excited look. He turned his head back to his victim, who was cursing his uncontrollable reaction. The rapper had a sickening look of pure exhilaration on his face. In Thanos’ head, he had hit a gold mine. This was going to be so much fun…

‘I can’t believe the savvy MG coin is ticklish’ Laughed Nam-gyu, his voice laced with malice. He wasn’t even trying to hide his excitement at this discovery. He went to stand directly to the side of Myung-gi, effectively boxing him in. 

‘Oh, MG, we’re about to have such a good time’ Thanos chuckled darkly. ‘Well, we are’  he used one hand to motion to himself and Nam-gyu, his other hand not moving from his victim’s waist. ‘You, on the other hand, probably not’

‘Why do you look so serious, huh? Go on dude, make him laugh again’ The black-haired man nudged his friend and watched in sadistic glee as Myung-gi’s attempt at a stone-faced disposition (although his anxiety was obvious) crumbled instantly under Thanos’ slender fingers.  The two pill-poppers couldn’t believe their eyes as Player 333 squealed and immediately grabbed at Thanos’ wrists.

‘Fuck, stohohop! STOP! Wahahaihit!’ Myung-gi felt his grasp of rational thought fall away as his panic went up a notch, resigning himself to the fact that these two psychopaths now knew about this embarrassing weakness. This was so humiliating.

Thanos narrowly missed as a flying kick came his way. ‘Aww, is that the best you can do?’ He buried his fingers deep inbetween Myung-gi’s ribs and clawed wildly, revelling in the frantic laughter of the younger man. This was far, far better than just plain old fighting. He was suddenly caught off guard as another kick came his way, this time very narrowly missing his shins. 

‘He’s tryna fight back, man. Can’t have him ruining the fun’ Thanos made eye contact with Nam-gyu, and although no words were spoken, he picked up on Thanos’ intentions immediately. 

Myung-gi laughed particularly hard as the purple-haired man hit an especially ticklish rib and that’s when Nam-gyu saw his opening. ‘down you go!’ He exclaimed playfully. 

The two druggies worked together to quickly incapacitate their opponent further, and before Player 333 knew what was happening, he was on his back looking up at the unhinged duo. The tickling had stopped for the time being and he finally had a chance to gasp in air, wrapping his arms around his midsection.

‘Alright, look, I’m sorry- no more, okay? Just let me go back to the dorm’

‘Awww, you’re not giving up that easily, right?’ Myung-gi felt his heart drop as the weight of Thanos straddled his waist, the purple-haired man grinning toothily down at him. 124 hoisted his arms above his head, his grip strong and unbreakable. Especially now that Myung-gi had been weakened by the tickling.

‘You’ve been a massive pain in my ass even before these damn games. We’re not stopping just yet’ 

‘Yeah man, you’ve fucked up’ Nam-gyu added, every fibre of his being flaring with excitement to take this guy apart in the most embarrassing way possible. ‘You really shouldn’t have let us find this out’ 

Myung-gi felt his panic renew, struggling under the two druggies as hard as he could. It was no use- he was utterly trapped, at the mercy of these hooligans. He wished as hard as he could that the floor would just swallow him up. Or that a guard would come to his rescue. Or literally ANYTHING that would get him out of here. When he realised strength wouldn’t work, he tried bargaining his way out.

‘I promise I’ll stay out of your way if you just let me go. My friends will be wondering where I am and they’ll come looking- so just save yourself the hassle and let me go now’ 

There was a moment of silence, and Thanos and Nam-gyu looked at each other with deadpan expressions. Almost like they were actually contemplating freeing him. Had he done it? Had he actually made them change his mind? 

However the silence only lasted a few seconds at most until they couldn’t keep a straight face anymore, and burst out laughing. Looking back down at Myung-gi, Thanos said- ‘Fine, let ‘em come. They’ll see you laughing your ass off like the ticklish little girl you are’ and then, with a shrug, ‘we can have fun until then’

And without any further chance of talking his way into freedom, Thanos slipped his hands under Myung-gi’s shirt and gently scratched at his lean stomach. MG coin attempted to hide his face in his shoulder, biting his lip to stop the inevitable giggles he felt making their way up his throat. The sounds forced out of him throughout this made his face even redder.

‘Look at him, trying not to laugh. Come on, MG coin! I’m not gonna stooop~’ taunted Thanos in a sing-songy voice. 

‘Try his ribs again, that really got him before’

‘Good thinking’ and with that, Myung-gi felt the light scratches travel teasingly slowly up his torso until they reached his ribs. He could feel the cold metal of Thanos’ rings scraping along his skin, which made the whole thing so much worse.

He couldn’t hold back his laughter after that, and his bullies grinned at each other triumphantly. 

‘Well, would you look at that! You were right, Nam-su’

‘Uh, it’s Nam-gyu’ 

‘Whatever’ 

The bickering pair went back and forth for a moment, as if Thanos wasn’t tickling a flustered Myung-gi into hysterics. He let out a high-pitched yelp as one of the rapper’s hands moved from scratching at his left set of ribs and up to the thin, sensitive skin of his armpit. 

‘awww, listen to him. Isn’t he just so pathetic? C’mon, MG coin, laugh for us!’ Thanos braced himself as Myung-gi kicked his legs, this time not in self-defence but as an outlet to relieve the overwhelming tickling sensations. 

‘Cute, isn’t he?’ Taunted Nam-gyu as he took hold of both 333’s wrists in one hand, using his other to knuckle his upper ribs. ‘Hey, I wonder if we can get him to beg?’

Myung-gi only just heard this exchange over his deafening laughter. He felt a wave of renowned frustration and anger. He wasn’t gonna beg these two idiots. Especially over something as childish as being tickled.

‘FUHUHUHUuhuhuCK YOHOHOHOU ASSHOHOHOHLES!’ His chest burned but he refused to show any further weakness than the embarrassing display he’d already performed. They weren’t gonna get the best of him.

Thanos and Nam-gyu gasped in pretend shock. ‘Did you hear that? Even in this position he still thinks he’s got the upper hand, huh?’ Thanos looked back down at Myung-gi, who’s eyes were screwed shut as he laughed uncontrollably. 

‘Shit, dude, looks like he needs some more’ declared Nam-gyu, now spidering his hand in the hollows of Myung-gi’s underarms. As if they had any intention to stop anyway. 

The spidering technique paired with the assault on his ribs was almost too much for Myung-gi as he felt hot tears sting at the corners of his eyes. Fuck, where WAS everyone? Usually the bathroom was privy to a revolving door of players coming in and out, and now- nobody? He didn’t know how much more he could take but his pride refused to allow him to beg.

That is, until the verbal teasing was taken up a notch. Myung-gi was usually a put together guy, but in his vulnerable state it didn’t take much to crumble his defences even more. 

‘A-tickletickletickletickle!’ Nam-gyu cooed in a high pitched tone, wreaking ticklish havoc on the former youtuber. He decided that MG coin had been sufficiently weakened and didn’t need his arms held down any longer, so he was now subjected to four lots of hands spidering and squeezing and scratching his most sensitive spots. ‘How much more are you going to be able to handle? You poor thing’ 

‘Don’t cry, dude. We’re not being that mean, right?’ Mocked Thanos in a sickly sweet voice, his hands rapidly squeezing up and down his victim’s sides. Occasionally he’d tweak at his hip bones which he found especially amusing as this would force a higher, more desperate laugh. 

‘AHAHAHAHAHA-FUHUHUHAHAHAHAHA! FAHAHAHAHACK!’ 333 was completely beside himself, his chest and stomach aching, cheeks burning from laughing so hard. He shook his head from side to side, trying his best to ignore the taunting. ‘Speak up, bro!’ 

Myung-gi swore internally (it’s not like he could speak coherently out loud, anyway) and knew what he had to do. The tickling wouldn’t stop until he buried his pride and…begged. Ugh, even the thought made him feel ill. But the fingers drawing firm circles in his sides were making him feel even worse.

‘PL-PLEAAHAHAHAHASE! PLehaahahahahahaAHAHA! PLEAAHAHAHASE! IHIHIHIHIM SOHOHOHOHORRY!’ The act of forming words was exhausting and felt impossible. His laughter became squeaky when he felt dull nails trace patterns into his neck and under his chin and he hoped that his pleas were enough to satisfy 230 and 124. 

‘One more time? Come on, give it all you’ve got or we’re not stopping!’

‘Hey, MG, what would your little girlfriend say if she saw you like this?’

God these two sucked. Like, really really sucked. It had already taken a lot for him to plead in a somewhat concise manner, and now he had to do it again? He took as deep a breath as was possible whilst being tickled out of his mind.

‘STOHOHOHOP! PLEAHAHahahahaAHAHSE! PLEASE PLE-AHAHAH-PLEAHAHAAHSE! FUHUHUHUHUHUCK! YOOHOhohoHOHUHU GOHAHAHATTA STOHOhohohOHOP!’

And then it was over. The tormenting hands stopped their assault yet didn’t move from his body. But the tickling had stopped. 

He didn’t even care that he was wheezing and gasping for air in front of the two maniacs- he was just grateful to be able to do so in the first place. He felt Thanos’ weight shift and he stood up, looking down at him still but now from an even greater height. Nam-gyu followed suit but not before another jab to 333’s armpits, making him yelp and curl up, earning a mean chuckle from the two. 

‘Wasn’t so hard, was it, MG?’ jeered Thanos. ‘And for the record, we didn’t have to do anything. We only stopped so we didn’t kill you- where would the fun in that be?’ With a sneer, 230 and 124 turned and left. Nam-gyu gave a sarcastic wave before disappearing round the corner, presumably to get high. What a pair of lowlives.

Myung-gi stayed laying down, still catching his breath. He listened as the smug chatter of Thanos and Nam-gyu became more and more distant. He’d have to keep even more of an eye out than usual after today.

Those bastards...

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 2nd February ✨

I feel like I’ve had such an audio drama-filled week, it’s been so nice 🥺

🦋 @remnantspod (26) Hoooo boy. Listening to this one before work was certainly a Choice!! I found the exploration of how disability affects people around you in ways you can’t control and may feel guilt about something really valuable to explore. My wife had a big operation and needed a wheelchair for a while last year and it was something that came up for us, but I’ve never seen it explored in audio drama! 

And, of course, we hit again this idea of unfulfilled potential - the typewriter  that was never used. The scenes with Sir and the Apprentice were very interesting…The idea of it being safe to give the apprentice information because he ‘won’t last’ made me wince. Also I’m back on my angel Peter BS, I think Sir is actually meant to be judging ‘the apprentice’. The Apprentice seemed not to fear the ‘dust’ when he’s seen it. But I don’t know how to feel about something that can make Sir beg… 

🎃 Waiting For October by @monkeymanproductions (4) hello, I am here to give my life for Frederick! 😻 I really loved the train gremlins, for some reason they really reminded me of the film Labyrinth but I don’t know why! Poor Karo, every part of this trip is bringing up so much for her. 

🧋 @hinaypod (33-34) I’ve listened to so much Hi Nay this week as the episodes were split into parts. I finally hit the bit where Murphy has to make an awful decision, but I’m yet to see the consequences! The fear death books make for some incredibly spooky tales! Hearing the house-sitter story from both perspectives was particularly chilling! I think these episodes have highlighted how much they need Mari around!! Also, I definitely missed the part where Laura and CJ got together officially! Good for u, girls!! ALSO, the idea that The Benefactor actually tried to split the power equally and is/was only going after people who tried to hoard power is verrrry interesting. In my head, he’s been set up as the Big Bad but it seems like there’s more to it than that! 

🍾 @ameliapodcast (43-46) what a great start to the season! I’m a little bit terrified by Kozlowski, and a little bit in love with him. I don’t know what is happening to my dear Interviewer, but I need a solution fast!! 

🌨️ @thewhitevault (17) Ohhh Dragana!!! She has been affected!! I had no doubt that she would be able to get them out of Goshawk safely. . . but now I do! And ugh, the scene where you hear the woman’s voice go repeat the cry for help at a different door is just awful! I love seeing the grípralviðr in action! It’s been so interesting to get a proper look behind the curtain at how the families operate through the eyes of someone who it’s all kind-of new to as well! 

🌵 @desertskiespodcast (12) Songs? Sung ✅ Astral Plane? Saved ✅ Tears? SHED!!! I was having a lovely old time listening to this episode until the new little passenger turned on the old lacrimal hosepipe. I’ve absolutely loved this season and I’ve only heard good things about what’s to come! 

I can’t tell you how excited I am for the return of @hellofromthehallowoods this week. Get me back to those black pines, please! I have missed you so much 🖤

[samhadjblog2]

Hey there is nothing wrong hearing your rambles. I enjoy to hear other people's takes of the show.

And I agree that the story of season 2 was bold and stubborn. However I have my own outlook of its main message.

Which I think can be tied back to Jinx's imagined monologue of Silco.

No. Killing is a cycle. One that started long before Vander and me. And it will continue long after the two of you. We build our own prisons. Bars forged of oaths, codes, commitments. Walls of self-doubt and accepted limitation.

We inhabit these cells, these identities, and call them "us." I thought I could break free by eliminating those I deemed my jailors.

But... Jinx... I think the cycle only ends when you find the will to walk away."

This is the whole basis of S2,How conceding to an identity limits what we are capable of. In season 2 we see how all of each of the characters identities limited their actions and in turn contribute to the cycle of violence.

Jinx believed she could only ever cause problems, when al she ever wanted to do was help.

Vi is averse to change and has a very narrow view of how to deal with her issues.

Caitlyn holds on to the ideals of her mom (or her views of her mom's ideals) as means to navigate her heavy emotions.

Jayce is someone blindly chases the future in a very narrow way that often creates problems

Viktor believes he is a victim of fate and believes he is limited in his actions.

Mel has the burden of her family name as well as being adverse to violence.

Ekko believes that people can't change.

Isha looking to Jinx as a role model to follow.

And Ambessa lives by ideals of strength as a means to survive in the world.

And all of these identities are tested this season and in turn they either concede to them or they break away.

I believe its best to go over Jinx and Viktor's first because they both have the most parallels to each other.

For instance at the start of the season both Jinx and Viktor had already accepted their respected identities. Jinx accepted she will be nothing but "A Jinx" and Viktor accepted he is a victim of fate. With both of their scenes of acceptance having them leave their respective sibling.

However as the season go's on they both begin to see that there respective identities are capable of doing good. With Jinx its letting Isha into her life and beginning to better herself but still repress a lot of her emotions. And gradually she begins to embrace being a symbol for the people of Zaun. As for Viktor he uses his new found fate of being tied to the hexcore to heal the people of the undercity.

Both Jinx and Viktor begin to see that they are capable of doing good. However this comes to ahead in episode 6, where they made mistakes in-spite of their choices. Isha emulates Jinx by trying to save her from Vander which to Jinx's eyes was a sign that she is only capable of doing bad, when in Isha's this was her greatest good.

As for Viktor he saw the future where he die's at the hands of Jayce and accepted it. However him embracing that death has also led to the rest of the commune dying.

And so both Viktor and Jinx came to accept that not matter either do's they will always be limited what they are capable of. And so both decide to end it all. For Jinx she believed the right course of action was to kill herself because she isn't able to do good. For Viktor he believed that free-will was what led to all of these issues and decided to get rid of human autonomy. And so having witness the truth in light, "I can feel the light shine on my face", the same light that Jayce glares at in the intro, where he "Touches the Arcane". Viktor ascends into his ideal self.

However both Ekko and Jayce were just flung across reality and both gained a new perspective on their lives, that also helps both Jinx and Viktor.

Ekko get's to head to an alternate reality where Hex-tech wasn't invented, where Heimerdinger (who was sent there three years ahead of Ekko) uses his position on the council to help the people of the undercity. And where Powder didn't get lost to Jinx. All of this help Ekko not only get to let go of his past, but also recognize that a person's past doesn't define them. He also get's to see a new side to Powder, that being her desire to help people.

Meanwhile as for Jayce he is sent to a dark future were Viktor's glorious evolution happens and see first hand what Hextech has brought. ("This world is wasteland where nothing can grow, I use to have strength but I ran out of hope, I know its my fault that im here all alone, this world is a wasteland, please let me go,go,go," -Royal and the serpent wasteland)

As Jayce make it through this world his hammer break his leg. A metaphor of how his own narrow-minded pursuit for the future crippled him. And in turn he dismantles it as a means to rebuild himself, and travel a path similar to Viktor's life, a person who struggled to make it in the world getting up to the higher part of the city. Hence why future Viktor didn't save him immediately he was trying to show him that a world without fault is meaningless world, and that its struggles that give life there meaning. (The shooting Viktor part is still really dumb, just hear me out on this because I just want trying to explain this season which is really hard)

And with this both Ekko and Jayce come back to their time and used what they had learned in order to help their respective partners.

Ekko uses the same words that the alternate Powder said "That no matter what happened in the past, its never to late to build something new. "

For Jayce he showed Viktor his encounter with future Viktor. And from here they recognize now that they can must destroy their project in order save the world.

And so Jinx, Viktor, Jayce all walk out of Piltover and in turn "break the cycle of violence". And this led now allowed for Piltover and Zaun to begin building bridges.

A lot of this isn't done well though.

Because so much is reliant on the story bending backwards to get to this point. And a lot of it just doesn't lead to anything engaging.

Jinx believed she could only ever cause problems, when al she ever wanted to do was help.

Vi is averse to change and has a very narrow view of how to deal with her issues. However a lot of her arc is heavily reliant on other characters pushing her into a specific direction.

Caitlyn holds on to the ideals of her mom (or her views of her mom's ideals) as means to navigate her heavy emotions. However a lot of those heavy emotions aren't properly conveyed well.

Jayce is someone blindly chases the future in a very narrow way that often creates problems. However he has to learn this by being flunged into an alternate reality. On top of creating negative ramifications towards Hex-tech instead of building on the already established one.

Viktor believes he is a victim of fate and believes he is limited in his actions. However that just means things happen to him and he doesn't have much agency in where he ends up

Mel has the burden of her family name as well as being adverse to violence. However she learns this by being trapped in a dark room, with most of the story just simply being a tease for a future series.

Ekko believes that people can't change. However like Jayce he has to learn through jumping to an alternate dimension. And after that he doesn't get much

Isha looking to Jinx as a role model to follow. However it demonstrates how much of a plot device she is

And Ambessa lives by ideals of strength as a means to survive in the world. However it doesn't really make a consistent character with a strong presence compared to Silco.

Just watched the Noxus cinematic, As cool and amazing as it was....My hopes aren't as high if we are getting a Noxus show, especially after the writing route they went with Arcane S2 and Mel afterwards.

[thenecropolix]

I've started watching the orginal Star Wars Trilogy for the very first time with my mom

We watched A New Hope on Wednesday, and today we just finished The Empire Strikes Back

My thoughts so far can be summed up as the following in no particular order:

C-3P0 is hilarious

The special effects truly are impressive for a product of its time

The planet and creature design are cool

Luke why

[last-flight-of-fancy]

there's literally so much i want to draw from shadowbringers i spent three hours doodling and still did not get through the list, or even to my own character (whom i love and adore) once

.... well. except that top one, anyway

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

My ideal Jason story that one day I would like to properly make is one where hes a ghost hero. I mostly imagine it as Jaybin but honestly could be super fun with older Jason too

[odoraful]

𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒

even in their relationship with you, they still have their moments of jealousy every now and again

⟡ content: zayne/sylus/xavier/rafayel x gn!reader; established relationship; luke & kieran appearance in sylus’ scene; new receptionist in zayne's scene; andrew appearance in xavier's scene; a little silly and a lot fluffy; 0.8–1k words per scene

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

ZAYNE ⟡

Every situation requires an assessment to determine the most logical course of action. Zayne embodied this statement in his work, and even in parts of his relationship with you. One such part was when it came to jealousy. In all his assessments, 99% of the time, there was no threat, and, therefore, no intervention required. In any case, if a guy were to approach you in such a way, he trusted you entirely as well to not entertain him. However, as he opened his office door to call you from the waiting room, he was confronted by that 1%.

The new receptionist hired to work alongside Yvonne was young, charming, and far too friendly. Especially towards you. You stopped by quite regularly. Sometimes for your scheduled check-in appointments, and oftentimes to simply visit Zayne during his downtime. That was enough for the young man to recognise you, his energy ignited by your presence.

Zayne could only see your side profile as you stood by the receptionist desk, engaged in a conversation with the young man. You appeared to be all smiles with him today. Whatever story he was telling seemed to be so thrilling. Zayne’s face remained calm, aside from the twitch of his jaw when he clenched his teeth. If anybody had been watching, they would have likely jumped at such a sign of vexation by the cardiac surgeon.

Until that point, he thought he had known what jealousy was. He had read it in books and seen it in TV shows, all of which portrayed jealousy leading to several outbursts and stand-offs. However, as he felt something rising from the pit of his stomach and burning in his chest, he understood that the purest kind of it now flared inside him. It was a dangerous emotion that clouded his mind and, before he knew it, his feet had carried him right to your side.

Mr. Chatterbox regarded Zayne with disbelief at his approach, standing up to properly greet him.

“Doc! What a rare sight seeing you personally greet a patient at the desk.”

Zayne paid only a cursory glance and the slightest nod of acknowledgement to him before his attention was narrowed on you.

“If you’d like to come in now, Y/N,” Zayne said, his voice smooth and warm.

You nodded. “Of course.”

As you walked, he placed his hand at the small of your back, pulling you closer to him by just a fraction. He turned his head to the side, enough so the young man could see his sharp eyes. Zayne wasn’t one for outbursts, so he hoped this calculated display was enough of a warning.

Watching Dr. Zayne disappear with you into his office, the receptionist muttered to himself, “Why does it feel chillier in here than before?”

Yvonne, a bystander to everything that just occurred, quietly approached her freshly hired colleague from behind. She delt a swift smack on his head with the edge of her palm. He yelped out in exaggerated pain, rubbing at the spot as if she had just given him a bruise.

“Could you be anymore oblivious…” she sighed, shaking her head. Her gaze then turned fiery as she began to scold, “And how many times have I told you to stop yammering around patients!?”

At the sound of Yvonne’s voice, he immediately redirected his efforts. Not even addressing his colleague’s prior criticism, he clasped his hands together.

“Miss Yvonne! How are you doing on this lovely–”

“Fax this, please,” she interrupted, holding a referral letter up directly to his face.

He gave a mock shiver, taking the paper from Yvonne’s hand. “So cold in this division.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“It seemed like you were making good conversation with our new hire,” Zayne commented, closing the door behind him.

You breathed a laugh. “He’s quite chatty. I guess it’s good to have someone so energetic working at the desk.”

That sensation within Zayne turned molten, though, you couldn’t have known with the coolness of his palm. What would be his intervention here? Maybe he needed to have a stern conversation with the young man, or perhaps he had to be more obvious in his affections towards you. He could never match the energy the receptionist had, so it would be impossible to achieve such a feat.

In his momentary stewing, you let out an uncertain hum.

“To be honest, he kept talking about himself... it was a little overwhelming,” you confessed sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck with your hand. “I couldn’t be impolite to him, so I just smiled and nodded at whatever he said!”

Instantly, Zayne’s mind cleared. His jealousies dwindled into nothing more than ashes. A part of him even felt silly at how intense he was feeling just a few seconds ago.

Unexpectedly, he rested his head on your shoulder with a sigh. Your eyes widened with confusion before you chuckled.

“Isn’t this a bit unprofessional, doctor?” you teased.

“Feel free to file a complaint to the hospital’s human resource division,” he retorted, not missing a beat.

Your mirth readily turned into concern at the affectionate display.

“But seriously, Zayne, is everything okay?” you asked, poking at his cheek.

Zayne lifted his head. He seemed to be, surprisingly, relieved. Though, you couldn’t figure out what exactly he would be relieved about.

“Yes, everything is perfect now.”

SYLUS ⟡

There was nothing that a deathly glare or a good shove couldn’t do to resolve Sylus’ jealousy. Warding off any unsuspecting parties was his speciality, especially if it involved them getting too close to you. However, the leader of Onychinus was thrown for a loop when his very own henchmen were sparking these feelings.

“You are… going out with Y/N today?” Sylus spoke slowly, as if sounding out syllables to a baby. “Is what I’m hearing correct, Luke?”

Kieran not-so-subtly kicked Luke in the shin. Luke stifled a groan. Rather than be on their way to Linkon (and to you), they were here being confronted by the boss. It was an unfortunate slip-up from Luke as they were about to leave, which caused Sylus to sternly halt their exit.

“Yes, boss.” Luke replied, trying to stand up straighter with only one good shin.

“And for what reason exactly?” Sylus asked.

Luke resignedly sighed.

“They wanted someone to–”

“Help clean their apartment!” Kieran quickly finished.

He turned and gave a pointed glare to his twin brother. You better follow along, it seemed to threaten.

Luke began nodding profusely, “Yep! Gosh, boss, you wouldn’t even believe the mess!”

“This type of menial work was probably too peasantry for you–”

“So, they invited us instead!”

Sylus’ henchmen stood there, looking quite proud of themselves and their innocent display. Sylus rolled his eyes at their dramatics. Luke and Kieran could do any task Sylus asked, no matter how dirty, and yet they were quite terrible at lying. Maybe he needed to teach them some skills in deception later. He dismissed them sharply with a wave of his hand.

“Go. Make sure to return before I leave this evening.”

The henchmen bowed, preparing to scurry away, but before they could, Sylus spoke again,

“Don’t take your eyes off them for even a second, do you understand?”

They turned back to Sylus and nodded, bowing once again.

“And–”

Sylus’ continual interruption of their exit left them in an awkward position right at the threshold of his office.

“–they don’t enjoy mopping, so I trust one of you will play the gentleman and take up that task.”

“You got it, boss.” Luke and Kieran said in unison before finally departing.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Sylus was planning on sleeping before your date in the evening, but that was completely out of the question now.

Hanging out with Luke and Kieran? To, supposedly, clean? He knew what they had told him was a lie. However, a small, burning part of him was frustrated. If that had been the truth, he naturally would have been the far better partner. With the time you had shared together, surely you had not so quickly found his own company lacklustre in comparison to his henchmen. He could have been in your apartment, with you, cleaning together. Instead, he was in his mansion, alone, and grumpy. Grumpy enough to open his tablet, and switch to his camera feeds connected to Mephisto.

He had asked if his skilled companion could do a bit of reconnaissance at your apartment to confirm what this ragtag trio were doing. As the camera feed loaded, he saw that your home was empty. Internally, he cursed. Mephisto flew down to street level, and, as luck would have it, three familiar people stepped out of the apartment complex. Luke and Kieran were there (wearing face masks and caps that disguised their faces as opposed to their crow masks) along with you.

Sylus sat up in his bed. 

He followed this trio as they walked to a nearby clothing store. Unfortunately, it would be considered odd for a crow to be indoors, so all Mephisto could do was perch atop a bench in front of the establishment and watch the three of you retreat inside behind the automatic glass doors.

Tossing the tablet aside onto the silk sheets, Sylus crossed him arms. If the thought of not being able to clean with you had made him grumpy, then seeing that he was not invited to shop for clothes with you truly made his blood boil with jealousy. As he attempted to get some rest, he thought about casual ways to mention on this evening’s date how he could rent out entire department stores for you if you wanted.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Sylus tapped his dress shoes rhythmically against the floor, awaiting your door to be opened after he had rung the bell. He had arrived at exactly 5 o’clock to pick you up, and although he was always well put together, he put in a little extra effort on his hair this time.

He heard the door unlock, slowly opening to only reveal your head poking out. He cocked his head to the side.

“Sweetie, are you trying to hide from me?”  

“Mmm, think of it more like I’m building anticipation,” you explained with a grin on your face.

Sylus laughed fondly. He leaned his own head against the wall beside the doorframe, turning to look at you.

“Consider me sufficiently anticipated,” he replied. “Now, may I see you?”

You gestured for him to move back so you could give a grand reveal.

“I just bought this today.”

The door swung open, and you stepped outside.

“How do I look?”

Very little could surprise Sylus; however, you had utterly blindsided him in this moment. You were wearing a dress that Sylus didn’t recognise from your current wardrobe. He knew then that the outing with Luke and Kieran had been to surprise him with a new dress for your date.

Flowy, ruby fabric draped against your figure, reaching down to your ankles. His eyes followed the heart-shaped neckline that framed the pearl necklace that rested at your collarbones, matching the accessory in your hair. All this prepared just for him.

“You look absolutely radiant,” he breathed.

Closing the distance, he snaked a hand around you, toying with the smooth material under his warm fingertips. Seeing how gorgeous you were almost alleviated his earlier frustrations, until he came to a sour realisation.

“Though, I can’t help but be… annoyed that Luke and Kieran saw this surprise before me.”

You bit your lip. Of course, Sylus had figured out what his henchmen were doing throughout the day. His voice grew deeper as his lips brushed against your ear.

“Next time, kitten, you should invite me to go with you instead.”

XAVIER ⟡

It took very little to spark Xavier’s jealousy, as much as the man himself would want to deny it. Strangers, colleagues, and acquaintances could cause his unassuming appearance to transform into a hostile front if they got too friendly with you. But today was another ordinary workday, so there would surely be no situation where Xavier should feel such a way.

There had been a string of quiet days at the Hunters Association that meant that Team Alpha could finally make use of their office. Namely you and Xavier, who usually were assigned to field missions. Your neglected chair squeaked under your weight as you stretched your body, lifting your arms high into the air then relaxing. Twirling the pen in your hand, the words on page about recent energy fluctuations seemed to swirl in your vision. Xavier turned from his own desk to observe you.

“I’m going to get a drink from the vending machine.” He stood up, the wheels of his chair clattering against the hard floor. “Do you want one too?”

“Green tea, please,” you replied.

“Warm or cold?”

“Cold,” you decided. You clapped your hands against your face, squishing your cheeks. “I need to shock my system to wake it up.”

Xavier’s face broke into a smile. “Sounds like a good plan.”

Before he could walk away, a voice called out your name.

“Morning Y/N!”

Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly at the approaching man.

He was tall (though not as tall as himself), with ashy hair precisely tousled to reveal his forehead, and friendly eyes. Xavier’s senses heightened in the same way as they would in a battle with a Wanderer. The unfamiliar man had greeted you with such familiarity. Only two words had been spoken, yet it was enough to irk Xavier. If he had called you less kindly, that would have helped to lower his guard.

To his surprise, the man turned his attention towards him.

“Ah, you must be Xavier! I’ve heard much about you.” He extended his hand. “I’m Andrew, head of the Data Analysis sector.”

Xavier stared at Andrew’s hand for a moment—blinking and discerning. Head of Data Analysis… Is this some kind of power move? He gave the hand a brusque shake.

“Excuse me, I need to get some drinks for the two of us,” he said, turning on his heel and walking away to the office’s break room.

Andrew furrowed his brows as he watched Xavier leave.

“Quite elusive, isn’t he?”

You shook your head.

“Maybe when you first meet him. But once you get to know him, you’ll see just how reliable he is.”

The tenderness in your tone came unconsciously to you, but it always happened when you spoke about Xavier to others. Especially towards those who might misinterpret his neutral disposition.

Small talk continued over the next minute between you and Andrew, until he suddenly looked at you with a slight frown.

“There’s an eyelash on your face,” he said, pointing vaguely to the left side of your face.

You used your fingers to swipe across your skin, yet Andrew still shook his head.

“No, no. It’s right here.”

He brought his finger closer to show you exactly where it was.

The dull thud of plastic bottles falling to the ground could be heard a couple of metres beside you. A blinding light zipped through the air, alongside a gust of air that swept your hair back. Before you could even register what had caused this phenomenon, Xavier appeared between you and Andrew. Your wide eyes stared at his hand gripping Andrew’s wrist.

“Xavier?” you called in surprise.

Xavier seemed equally shocked at how instinctually he acted. One moment he had seen Andrew’s hand move closer to your face, and the next he was face-to-face with him.

“I-I don’t know what came over me.” He released Andrew from his iron hold. “I'm really sorry”.

With a small bow, Xavier braced himself, ready to receive the full brunt of anger from the Head of Data Analysis. He shuddered at the thought that this might be reported to Captain Jenna. Instead, Andrew shook his head calmly.

“Don’t worry about it.” He gave an understanding smile, observing your worried expression towards Xavier. “In fact, I do believe this was my bad.”

The abandoned green tea bottles rolled lazily beside the desks, and Andrew picked them up. “I’ll be heading off to my office now, I’ll see you two later.”

Handing the drinks to you and Xavier, you both expressed your thanks. As Andrew left, you turned to Xavier.

“Xavier,” you spoke slowly, “what exactly was that?”

He scratched his head and diverted his eyes from you.

“I saw he was getting too close, and my body moved faster than my head…”

It was hard not to react at how adorably guilty he looked.

What am I going to do with you? You thought, sighing in affectionate amusement.

“I know how it must have looked from afar, but there was just an eyelash on my face that Andrew was trying to point out,” you explained.

Again, you swiped a finger across your face. “I still don’t know where it is though.”

Your movements were halted as Xavier gently grasped your wrist. He leaned in close, examining your face. You felt his light touch against your eyelids as he took off the lash.

“You know, there’s a superstition about this,” he began, handing the lash to you.

“They say if you have a stray eyelash, you can use it to make a wish.”

He cleared his throat, the tips of his ears turning red believing his next words to perhaps sound a little childish. 

“So, I wanted to be the one who would give you that wish.”

RAFAYEL ⟡

Rafayel’s jealousy would make itself known to you the moment he felt it. Though he would hide it between clever, teasing remarks, it was cute to see how clingy he got when it happened. And there was no better situation to provoke such feelings than at a gala hosted by Flux Arts. Admittedly, it was difficult to get the artist himself to attend these gatherings that featured one of his own paintings, so Thomas had to devise a convincing reason for him to go. That reason, naturally, being you. If you were his plus one, Rafayel could certainly face any battle.

You stood in front of Rafayel’s painting now as he had left you for the moment to speak with Thomas. Even after being exposed to his work many times (both mid progress and completed) they still managed to instil awe within you.

“Fascinating, isn’t it?”

The voice pulled you back into the room, and you looked over at the stranger beside you. He appeared to be slightly older and was likely a wealthy, enthusiastic patron of the gala.

“Yes, it is,” you agreed. “It’s one of my favourites.”

In truth, you favoured it because you were there when Rafayel painted it. From start to finish, he had you at his side. Though abstract, upon closer inspection, one could extrapolate details of a city with glorious towers and vibrant, thriving coral. It held a special place in your heart.

The man’s eyes were glued to the painting.

“Rafayel truly is an artist you get once in a lifetime.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the sincerity in the gentleman’s compliment.

“It’s hypnotising to witness the scenes he creates,” he continued. “He seems to bare his soul in each painting.”

“He is quite an expressive man,” you commented, breathing a small laugh.

From picking out the perfect outfits to the perfect paint materials, passion infused every part of Rafayel’s life, including in his relationship with you. It was one of his greatest traits you adored about him.

The familiarity in your tone was lost on the man, who believed you to only be an admirer of the artist, and not an admirer of a different sort.

The conversation continued, and you discovered the man to be a professor of history. He had discovered Rafayel through his own interest in ancient civilisations such as Lemuria. You couldn’t help but beam with pride listening to the man speak so highly of Rafayel, and the impression his works had left on him. The man soon took his leave, thanking you for entertaining his enthusiastic ramblings.

You were so engrossed that you didn’t notice Rafayel with his arms folding behind you. He graciously gave you a few seconds to detect his presence. Though, his frown grew as you continued to be, supposedly, too starstruck from your earlier conversation with that stranger.

He cleared his throat loudly.

You spun around at the familiar voice.

“Raf! How long have you been standing there for?”

He shrugged with as much nonchalance as he could muster. However, anyone with two eyes could have guessed the annoyance on his face.

“Enough to hear the last bits of your conversation.” He strode to your side, arms still folded tight across his chest. “Found interesting company so soon after I left?”

You closed the gap between the two of you with a step, preparing to explain the true nature of that conversation. Not letting you interrupt his sulking, Rafayel continued,

“I need to be more wary. There are too many people here wanting to whisk you away from me.”

As soon as you walked into the gallery arm-in-arm, people’s eyes were drawn to the two of you. At his mention that you were the centre of attention, you had dismissed it, saying it was him everyone took interest in.

Tilting your head to the side, you placed your hands your hips, almost as if to say: Are you going to let me speak?

Rafayel quickly conceded, spluttering out his next question, “And why were you being so chummy with that stranger, anyway?”

“That stranger said he was a professor of history specialising in ancient cities, and that he’s been an admirer of your works for a long time,” you answered.

Poking at his cheek with your finger, you attempted to remove his pout that remained affixed on his face.

“I was being chummy because he was complimenting your work! It made me happy to hear that people have such high praise for you and your paintings.”

Rafayel’s pout disappeared.

“It just made me think… how proud I am to have you as my partner,” you smiled. “You leave a profound impression on people.”

Your words resonated in his head. He stood motionless, with only the slow blink of his eyes.

His lack of reaction made you flush.

“Ah, that was pretty cheesy, wasn’t it? I’m sorry–”

The apology stopped short in your throat as you were scooped into a tight hug. Rafayel’s arms wrapped around your waist. A few gala attendees looked over at the young couple with admiring gazes, wondering what could have happened that would cause such open affection.

Rafayel nuzzled his forehead into the curve of your neck, mumbling right by your ear, “Jeez, here I was trying to be jealous…”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[ftmbigbro]

(Contains: free use, dehumanisation)

Section Two, Part 1/3: How to fix a bratty tboy!

Is your tboy talking back to you? Won't he do as he is told? Don't worry, there are a few different ways to fix him! He'll be thanking you for pounding his holes again in no time! In this section we will be going over some easy recommended ways to discipline your boy.

Spanking

In part one of this section, you can read about spanking. Spanking is one of the most proven and efficient ways to punish your tboy. We recommend spanking your boy at least once a week for maintenance, even if he is generally well-behaved. Spankings can be done in front of other people for humiliation. Try inviting your friends over to watch his punishments! Maybe even to use him after! (see Section Two, Part 2/3 on Overstimulation and Continues Use for more on this). When dealing with a bratty tboy, an implement should be used. Try having the implement be something the boy interacts with in his everyday life, such as a hairbrush or a wooden spoon, that way he will be reminded to behave when he sees it. Alternatively, if you wish to use a paddle or a whip on him, try having it displayed in the house as a warning of what is to come.

Before a spanking, the tboy should always have his bottom and pussy completely bared. Don't be afraid to use force to pull his pants and underwear down if needed. If he attempts to cover his pussy with his hand, slap it away and give him a hard swat on his clit, he is your property, he should not hesitate to expose himself for you.

Now, you have several options for how to place him for his spanking. Over the knee, over the armrest of a chair or sofa or over a table are all popular and valid positions, however beware that some boys might attempt to grind their naughty little pussies against anything during the spanking. If you see this happen, turn your tboy around so that he is on his back with his legs spread and continue the spanking directly on his cunt. Other positions for spankings include standing, lying flat on the bed, bent over the bed, or kneeling on bed or sofa. Note that prioritising humiliating the boy is encouraged. Make sure his pussy is exposed and spread.

Now that the boy has been positioned, the actual spanking begins. Make sure you don't hold back. The punishment should fit the crime, of course, but don't be distracted by begging, crying or kicking. In fact, the most obedient boys will just take the punishment without making a scene, so this is a sign you should be hitting harder. Make sure both buttcheeks and the upper thighs have a nice rosey colour before you move on to spanking his cunt. Front-spankings are just as important as bottom-spankings and should be administered with the same force. His pussy will likely be dripping at the attention, this is a good sign, it shows that he is ready for use after you finish the punishment. Make sure to spank both his hole, clit and mount, as well as the soft folds. When it's swollen and red and your boy is leaking and sniffling, he should be fixed and ready to behave for you. If not, continue with the guidance of part 2 of this section.

After a spanking, it is recommended to give your tboy some time to think about his actions, either stood in a corner or standing positioned with his ass and pussy on display. However if you do wish to use him immediately after the punishment, he will likely be very obedient and his pussy will be wet and tight and ready for you to pound.

[ambrosiagourmet]

I love Izutsumi. She's got a great design, she's a fun addition to the main party, she adds some new tension, and she's honestly one of the reasons I read dungeon meshi in the first place. I mean, "the most cat to ever girl" is an extremely appealing hook to anyone who loves cats and girls (me, I love cats and girls).

However, while I have always liked Izutsumi, I finished the story kind of feeling like I didn't really get her. I felt like I had a decent grasp on her character an character arc (she's a traumatized teen given space to feel safe and open up, and because of that she realizes that she can't grow without letting go of the coping mechanisms she once needed). But I didn't feel like I really understood her role in the story as a whole.

She follows the group of her own accord, after a coincidental meeting and a misunderstanding of what they can do for her. She's never super invested in saving Falin, at least not compared to the rest of the group. Though they do help her escape Maizuru's shackles, and are clearly good for her in general, she doesn't really have a healing Moment with the group the way that Senshi does with the hippogriff soup.

And yet, she gets an entire chapter, the third-to-last chapter, dedicated to exploring her growth and future. She's the one who frames much of the falling action, who lets us check in with everyone. She's the one who helps talk Laios into accepting his role as king. She may join the story part way through, but she is there for most of it. So Izutsumi! What's your deal!?

Well, I think I've come up with an answer, at least for myself, that I really like. Two of them, even! Though they both really work together to form the overall point - Izutsumi is the character that most helps the story face towards the future. Here's why I think that.

So the first of these "ah-ha" moments was when I realized that Izutsumi really is the best supporting evidence for Laios' point about the good things that wouldn't have happened if Falin hadn't died.

If Falin hadn't been eaten by the dragon, Izutsumi probably would still be a slave. It was because of Shuro and Laios' parties both being in the dungeon to rescue Falin, as well as Marcille's use of ancient magic in the resurrection, that she got the chance to escape. None of that would have been the case if Falin hadn't died. Shuro wouldn't have separated from the group and joined up with his retainers, Marcille wouldn't have revealed her knowledge of ancient magic, and Izutsumi never would have even met any of them. They are only part of her life because of Falin's death.

Though this isn't explicitly pointed out by Laios or Izutsumi in the scene, I do think you can very much feel the presence of it. For one, when Marcille reflects on the journey and how much it made her realize she didn't want to lose everyone, her relationship with Izutsumi is prominent:

It's the main original group at the top and center, but when you read it right to left, it’s Izutsumi and Marcille who might catch your eye first. And it's specifically Marcille and Izutsumi's relationship on display here, not just Izutsumi's presence in the group in general.

Also, after Laios' statement about how none of their adventure would have happened without Falin dying, it is Izutsumi who gets the final word:

Izutsumi is also the one here who is the most forward-facing. Chilchuck is trying to correct Laios, Senshi is focused on the immediate future, and Izutsumi is talking about her new goal.

And I want to talk about that goal in general as well, because it’s also interesting how it comes up. In that moment, everyone is trying to remind Marcille of her less destructive desires - to eat food, to share it with them, and to meet Chilchuck's family. All of which are previously established, existing desires. When prompted by Chilchuck to join in, however, Izutsumi offers something new:

That's interesting, isn't it? It's kind of funny, of course, to see her rambling on about a completely new thing, her own personal motive, in the middle of everyone working together to reach out to Marcille. Izutsumi doesn't even know who Yaad is! But at the same time, it’s kind of meaningful. Amidst the focus on desires that everyone already had, she adds a completely new one to the mix. It’s even the final bridge that lets Laios reach Marcille.

It is, in fact, even an idea that comes back later to help out another lord of the dungeon. The idea of finding new goals and feeling new desires... this is exactly how Kabru reaches out to Mithrun, after the Winged Lion is gone

So yeah, Izutsumi's presence here, both in what she's actively choosing to say as well as what she represents of the consequences of Falin's death, supports the story's ideas of moving forward. Of accepting the past, and finding new reasons to live.

Which is all really good, and that alone works pretty well as an answer to what Izutsumi's role in the story is.

But oh, oh. There's more. Something I realized after having thought of all this, because I still couldn't let go of the feeling that there was still something I was missing.

And as I reviewed the things I loved about Izutsumi - her sometimes unhealthy ways of coping with trauma, her struggles with isolation, her skill with fighting, her selfishness contrasted with the ways she grows to care for and protect the group, her perpetually guarded nature, born from the seeming impossibility of ever fitting in or finding a safe place to just be herself - I realized something.

Izutsumi...

is a foil to Falin.

Where Falin copes with isolation and trauma by being eternally caring and struggling to say no to people, Izutsumi copes by constantly saying no to everything she can. Falin is often considered selfless, but does have selfish desires that she can’t easily express until a moment of crisis. Izutsumi is delightfully selfish, but chooses to stick by her friends when they need her. They are both transformed, against their will, into partly monstrous hybrids, and they both will have to live with that - there is no undoing what has been done to them.

Falin anchors the group in the past. Izutsumi pulls them towards the future. Neither would find freedom without the other - it is Falin's death that leads to Izutsumi joining the party, and likewise, it is Izutsumi who inspires the realization of how they can save Falin.

And Falin is her future, as much as Izutsumi is Falin's. Both learn to be a little more like each other, even though they never meet. Falin gets a little more selfish. Izutsumi gets a little more willing to bend.

In this context, I feel like I have finally started to understand just how important Izutsumi is to the story. She is a proof that they cannot just go back, and she is a clawed, happy-to-scratch-anyone-who-pisses-her-off reminder, at that. In any conversation about what the group wishes would have happened with Falin, she cannot be ignored or brushed aside.

She is a reminder that, even in the midst of a tragedy so big it feels like a shadow you will never escape, you have yet to met all the people you will love. Hell, some of those people might even be catgirls. We should all be so lucky.

[corawithfanfiction]

Hi! Would you ever consider do anything that was Aaron Taylor Johnson x reader? (his celeb self I mean.) Maybe something like they’re working on a movie together (y/n is younger) and get to be friends and then something transpires between them? Ahh!!

Aaron Taylor-Johnson x Fem!Reader (Young Actress Reader - Request)

My Materialist

warning: claustrophobia, age difference, dirty language, nickname, divorce, coworker, action scene, car accident, creep, expectation.

summury: You're doing test shoots for action scenes with the lead of your new movie. You always thought you were like a sister to her until you find out that he is now a single man.

(2632 word)

Ask for permission before quoting or translating!

Hope you like it sweetie, I try the write as soon as possible :) @smallmarvel

It was one of the new weeks in your new project. The reading rehearsals had been over for a few days. But post-production had taken a long time. Or maybe it's because it's your biggest project and you've never experienced this kind of crew and work discipline before.

The cast had been in camp for months and all of them had been working out constantly to change their bodies for their roles. In the last days you have been working on your choreography. Your screen time would be about fifteen to twenty minutes, but the opportunity to work with such a cast made it all worthwhile.

You had two fight scenes, one big and one small. Although it wouldn't be right to call them both fights. Generally the bad guys were chasing you and our hero was there for you, but there were still moves you had to memorize.

When you first read the script, you thought that since it was an escape scene, it wouldn't challenge you and you would just run. But it wasn't like that. You had to jump, jump, sometimes crawl and even fight one-on-one. To make the scene more realistic, you were choreographed to fight for your life. At first you hated it, but once you learned the moves and started doing them much faster, you started to enjoy it.

Today was the day of the test shoot.

It was the first time you and the rest of the crew would act out the scenes together. Of course you had all met each other. You had rehearsed readings, the director had organized some nights for you all to get along better. One of them was a movie night where you watched some of the old crappy horror movies. It was a milestone day when you couldn't be afraid to laugh and you started to feel comfortable around each other as a team. Another night was a silent movie night. It was through events like these that you formed good friendships.

Aside from being friends with the crew and spending time together, today was the first day you were going to be in front of the camera. And it was for the fight scene. You were the last name in the cast and you were the least famous of them all. In direct proportion to that, you were not the main female character of the movie, but all your scenes were with the hero of the movie, the leading male character. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who is going to save you from the bad guys in today's the test shoot.

Aaron was a very funny and kind man. He would come to your workouts to make you feel comfortable, give you feedback and often praise you on how well you were doing. In addition to these interactions, he was usually quiet on set. He would share a laugh with certain people, but he was very kind to the whole set and the staff. A true English gentleman.

When you arrived on set, you put on something comfortable. Leggings, a sports bra that covers your breasts and makes the whole action scene easier for you, and a loose t-shirt with the logo of your favorite band. Since it was a test shoot, you were wearing air force sneakers. You were determined to at least make this test as comfortable as possible until the main shoot.

Aaron came into the field right behind you. He was similarly dressed in comfortable clothes. He arrived in gray sweatpants and a basic t-shirt. They rocked back and forth with their hands in their pockets, talking to the director about the scene. You'd have to be blind not to notice the movement of his muscles with each sway…You reminded yourself that you were a married man and tried to focus on your scene.

After he finished talking to the director, he came up to you and said, “Good morning, baby.” He pulled you into a hug. You knew he gave you that nickname because of the age difference. You reminded yourself that there was nothing to be excited about and accepted his hug.

When he pulled back, with an energetic smile on his face, he asked, “Are you ready for today?” His smile must have been contagious because you were smiling back. “As much as I can,” you replied, shaking your legs - in a pose as if you were about to run a marathon.

His grin was still on his face. “We'll try not to push you too hard today, but we still want to go through all the scenes. But if there's any scene or movement that makes you uncomfortable, we'll definitely stop shooting,” he explained with great care. You had to admit that you were very lucky to be working with someone so kind and understanding. “Thanks Aaron, I really appreciate it, but I don't think we'll have any problems, we've been rehearsing these moves for weeks.” You reassured him. “Honey, the shot might feel different though, remember to stop if you have trouble.” He insisted. “I promise I will stop the scene if it feels uncomfortable,” you reassured him. All the while trying not to get hung up on the new nickname...

The first test shoot went quite well. The more complicated scene was next, but you decided to do it tomorrow. Or rather your director decided so. This decision was made because he wanted to shoot tomorrow with full make-up and clothes. Because it is necessary to decide whether the costumes in the movie will cause any problems in the scene and choreography and what precautions should be taken if necessary. So tomorrow you will enter the set as if you are shooting the first scene of the movie. Lights, camera, makeup, hair, costume… Everything you can think of will be prepared. To be honest, you're very excited about it.

But this was tomorrow's subject, today's subject and a new movie night. The leading lady of your movie had invited everyone who was doing a test shoot today to a movie night at her house because her house was quite close to the set.

You decided to change at the set before going back to the hotel and go with Aaron. Because he had arrived by car and you didn't want to waste time looking for a taxi.

The ride was peacefully silent until the sound of Aaron's cell phone connected to the car filled the air. “Excuse me, this is important. If you don't mind-” As soon as I saw the word lawyer appear on the screen, I said, ”No, no, please. I don't mind at all.”

When he picked up the phone, the loud, booming voice of the lawyer on the other end filled the car. “Hey, buddy, how you doing?” Aaron's fingers were turning white as he gripped the steering wheel. His grip on the steering wheel was tighter than it had been since he'd called the lawyer. “Please give me some good news Kev,” his lawyer, Kev - you probably think it was Kevin - noticed Aaron's nervousness and started to chuckle. “Relax man, you're a single man now. Sam accepted the deal and signed all the papers. Congratulations man, enjoy your new life.” Aaron let out a deep breath at the sound of the phone hanging up. “I'm sorry this is really-” before you could finish the sentence Aaron's laughter filled the car and you heard him say something like 'oh shit' but you didn't dwell on it. His happiness was contagious and the awkward silence in the car was gone.

You couldn't say the same about movie night, though. They had chosen a really terrible movie this time and you were constantly screaming and disturbing the whole crew. One or two people who were really enjoying the movie were a bit annoyed by this, but the crew was having a lot of fun with your reactions.

When the lead role was finally placed alive in the coffin, you felt your breath catch in your throat. “I think I-” the incoherent words came out so quietly that no one even realized you were about to have an attack of claustrophobia. As soon as you started to fidget on the couch, an arm grabbed you around the waist and pulled you towards him. You couldn't see who it was in the dark room. With one hand still on your waist, he grabbed your neck with his free hand and held you against his chest. You immediately inhaled the familiar scent. You relaxed yourself in the safety of the warmth. “Shh, calm down doll, I'm here.” His low voice and the sound of him moving around your waist were enough to calm your nerves. But his lips barely touching your ear sent a shiver down your spine. You were about to remind yourself that this was wrong when you remembered that he was now a single man.

When you arrived on set, you went straight to your trailer for makeup. While you were lost in the memories of yesterday, your makeup was finished and your hair was being done.

Shortly after the movie ended, you and Aaron said goodbye to your friends and left. You were staying in the same hotel, so you went on the car ride together again. He made fun of you a little during the ride and finally you agreed to watch a comedy movie together. When you arrived at the hotel, he insisted on escorting you to your room even though your rooms were not on the same floor.

After opening the door to your room, you wished each other good night. Before you parted, you shared another hug. It was the longest hug you had ever shared. Sure, it was a minute hug, but it usually lasted no more than a few seconds and no, every time you hugged Aaron you didn't calculate how long it lasted. “Good night, baby,” he whispered in your ear as his hand circled your back. Then he left after leaving a vague kiss on your burn.

While your hair was being done, you were drowning in memories. You told yourself you were exaggerating, after all, he always called you baby. You were like his little brother, that's what you had been telling yourself for weeks, except you didn't know then that he was about to get divorced and that he was now a single man. Yes, there was an age difference, but it wasn't twenty years. You were just a couple years younger.

You came out of your daydream with Aaron's voice. “Hello baby,” he winked at your image in the mirror. ‘Good morning Aaron,’ you smiled. When you were called from inside to put on your costumes, you waved “See you in a minute” and headed towards the cabin. After changing your clothes, you took one last look at your image in the mirror and went to the set area. It wasn't a superhero movie so there were no weird tights and uncomfortable costumes. It was a chase scene where you would be chased by the 'bad guys' after you left work and then it would take place on the streets of the city. He was wearing tight fabric pants, a white shirt and stilettos. When the scene first started you would run in heels. Then you could switch to sneakers because they would not be visible in the camera angles. But neither the shoes nor the shirt made you unhappy. The only thing that bothered you was the lacy bra. You were looking for the comfort of your sports bra from the day before.

On the director's orders, you started the test shoot. You came out of your model building, realized you were being followed while walking down the street and jumped into the first taxi you saw. The team chasing you rear-ends your taxi with the car they are driving and you get stuck in the vehicle. At this moment, Aaron arrives and performs the fight scene with the men chasing you. After he rescues you from your trapped position, you take him by the hand and run together. At this point you were planning to change your shoes but you didn't want to stop shooting and you wondered how long you could go on.

After all, it was a test shoot. If you failed, you wouldn't try something like this next time. As you ran hand in hand, your heel caught on some fake stones. As Aaron checked you were okay, you gave him a sign that you could continue. As you continued your scene, you realized that the shoe was hurting you now. And the more you stepped, the more it hurt. But you were still shooting and you didn't want to give up on the first try.

You squeezed the hand that Aaron was holding. Immediately he turned to you and a low whimper of “Aaron,” escaped your lips. He immediately checked you with his eyes and tried to figure out what was wrong. “I don't think I can go on in these heels much longer,” As he was about to signal the director to stop the scene, he shook his hand once more and said, “Please don't stop the scene, we are almost finished. I don't want it to be cut because of me.” As you were quickly looking for a solution, the camera was coming towards you from the backstage area.

As you wondered what to do, you felt yourself being swept off your feet. As you let out a little scream of surprise, you could tell that your director was enjoying the moment and was pleased with the image that was being captured on camera. Aaron embraced you bridal style. And he was running towards the area where your final scene would take place. “What are you doing!” you whispered after your astonishment had subsided a little. “I couldn't let you writhe in pain Y/N,” she said, giving you an angry look. “Oh, I thought you would enjoy watching me writhe in pain…” you snapped.

When you got to where you needed to be, he took you off his lap and you did the moves you had memorized for your scene. With the fake explosion planned on the set, you ducked down and crawled together to where you were supposed to hide. The camera went back to filming the extras fighting. You had time to lie down for a few minutes.

You tried to forget the pain in your feet as you lay on your back where you were crawling. You were a little stressed by the narrow space you were in, but your breathing was regular.

As the shouting and explosions continued in the background, Aaron crawled to where you were. Since you had decided to lie on your back, he was now standing over you, leaning on his elbows. He never took his eyes off your eyes for a moment. “I enjoy you squirming Y/N” he said, and you realized that he had returned to the previous conversation. “But I'll make sure it won't be in pain.” Your breath began to betray you as his gaze slid to your lips. He leaned in even more, closing the distance between you a little more. “But I will also show you that we are away from the cameras,” his words sent a shiver down your spine and a warmth to your core.

He immediately noticed when you involuntarily squeezed your legs together. He leaned down until his lips touched your earlobe before leaving his spot for his scene. “I knew you were made for me, baby.” He said. And he left his location to continue shooting. Leaving you there to daydream with all your wetness and anticipation.

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[katsukikitten]

Actress reader and Actor Bakugou have to enact a sex scene. Of course they've got one of those little modesty covers for his dick and for you but you'll still look naked in the shot.

But there is just something about the way that he's grinding into you, his cock hard from the action of course and since your characters hate each other (just like in real life) it's supposed to be a rough passionate scene, it's hate fucking after all! Your moaning only gets louder the more he "fucks" into you echoing around the studio with tons of people looking over the two of you but his eyes are trained on you and when he thinks he hears something a little more than the over the top obvious fake sounds your character is meant to give, when it ebbs into something real (fake to real sounds per the script) he gets a little too into his character.

"That's right, take it, take this cock. Mould to me so that every other man knows that you're mine and mine alone, princess."

"You'll have to fuck me harder than that to make me cum, prince." Spitting back the title his character so hates and the nickname you've come to call him off set and in interviews if only to burrow under his skin. His eyes flash with anger and for a moment you think you've regained control.

But his thrusts come harder after that and suddenly you're trying to cover your face with your arms but he moves to pin them to the plush pillow over head. His voice rough, deep, panting out in such a mind numbing growl.

"No, I want to see the exact moment I ruin you."

Covered cock somehow grinding against your clothed slit just right, your clit throbs from the repeated action, making you lock your ankles around his waist.

Head thrown back to expose your throat that he comes down to bite as he "cums" just as he's supposed to although the lines were wholly improvised. Shuddering over top of you with his tongue lapping up the rough teeth marks he's left on your pretty skin. Pulling away to grab your jaw roughly, rutting into you with pained groans as his tongue slips into your mouth "prolonging" your release and his.

"CUT!" Comes the doctor's voice, slicing through the tension reminding you both exactly where you are. Bakugou pulls away but not too quickly, grabbing at the blankets to cover you even if the whole world was going to see your tits bouncing from his rough thrusts thanks to the network allowing borderline soft core porn on air.

"Let's take fifteen to review and recenter!" Comes the directors sharp voice and so Bakugou helps you up on shaking legs, pressing you into his side as he walks around in nothing but that "modesty" covering.

"Wow! That seemed so real you did the fake to real moaning so well!" People linger to pass you compliments until they see Bakugou snarling down at them, rushing away from the always grumpy actor. He makes sure you're sat on the couch in your dressing room, both of you lock eyes for a moment and it's obvious by his smirk that this jackass can't help but stroke his own ego.

"Ya that sure was a performance from you, ya know I almost would have thought it was real, princess." He mocks you, giving you some knowing look as your cheeks still burn from how good he was from grinding alone.

"In your fuckin dreams Prince." He can only suck his teeth and chuckle darkly at your retort. Going to cup his fat length and sac, a squishing sound can be heard and it makes you hyper aware of the wetness between your thighs. He pulls away his hand slowly, silvery strings connect to the thin fabric and his fingers before they snap and he looks up at you. Smiling devilishly, palming his damp cock sticky from more than just you but you don't have to know that.

"Then I must be dreaming huh?"

[dancingbirdie]

Okay so on Astarion, I was reading this fic about him not knowing Tavs true intentions with him and it bothering Astarion a lot, so what if he goes to some mage or magic user and asks them to show Tavs true intentions to him, when he does the vision he sees is just... being snuggled. It's Tav on top of him and the both of you are falling asleep, his hands are under your shirt softly petting your skin as your sleepy self is contently snuggled up to him. I just start crying about him finding out that Tavs DASTARDLY and EVIL plan with him, their greatest desire from him... is to simply be held. 🥺

Hi @goblin-creatcher! Thank you so much for this BEAUTIFUL prompt. I, uhh, kind of took it and went a million miles an hour with it. This is honestly one of my favorite things I've ever written. I hope you enjoy it as well! xoxoxo

Something Imagined / Something Real

Word Count: 3.9K

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Astarion x f!Tav

Warnings/Tags: Brief but detailed description of rough consensual sex, descriptions and references to Astarion's trauma/trauma responses, minor Act 1 and Act 2 spoilers, FLUFF, angst

Suggested Song Pairing: Slow Dancing in A Burning Room (Stripped) - cover by ST LUNA

Summary: Astarion has been suspicious of Tav’s true intentions toward him. He persuades Gale to cast a spell and reveal her motivations. ANGST and FLUFF ensue. A rewriting of Astarion’s confession scene from Act 2.

The sun had just begun to set on the campsite when Astarion decided to put his plan into action. He had waited until Tav departed with some of the other party members before making his way over to the wizard. Gale was too busy reassembling the bookshelf inside his tent to notice Astarion’s approach. It wasn’t until he gave a polite cough that Gale jumped and whirled to face him. 

“No, no, no,” he began all at once, hands raised in a sort of shooing motion. Astarion stared at him in confusion. “I can respect Tav’s indulging in your need for blood, but as I’ve said before: I taste terrible.” 

Astarion scoffed. “Charming. Actually, wizard, I was coming to request your aid in a different, though somewhat related, matter.”

“Really? Care to elaborate?” Gale responded, still somewhat wary. It wasn’t often he found himself alone with the vampire. 

“Testy, I see,” Astarion crooned teasingly. His knee-jerk response to people treating him like a monster, to behave in the most false saccharine sort of way. 

But he drew up short, censoring himself before saying anything else he might regret. He knew he needed to get on the wizard’s good side if he had any chance of getting the answers he sought. 

“I was hoping you knew a spell to reveal someone’s true intentions. Their… motivations for behaving in a certain way, so to speak,” he finished more seriously. 

Gale pondered the question for a moment before answering. 

“Hmm… yes, there is magic to determine that sort of thing… Although it’s been some time since I practiced it…” He trailed off, rubbing his chin in thought. 

“Why are you asking for such a thing?” he asked suddenly. 

Astarion had been prepared for this question, of course. No one did anything for free, no questions asked. He delivered his explanation perfectly, as he’d been rehearsing in his mind.

“One might say our dear sweet Tav and I have been growing a bit… closer these days, but I can sense a master manipulator when I see one. I just simply want to ensure their intentions toward me - toward the party - are true,” he replied with mock innocence. 

“Ah, yes,” Gale nodded. “I gathered as much when the two of you slipped away from the tiefling’s party a few nights ago.” 

“But,” he continued on,”I needn’t think you should worry when it comes to Tav. She seems about as transparent as they come. I’m sure any intentions she has toward you are true.”

Yes, but the best actors always mask their motivations behind innocence and transparency, Astarion thought to himself. I should know. I’ve been doing it for centuries.

After the party’s unfortunate meeting with that Gur in the Sunlit Wetlands, Astarion realized he would have to take potential threats from Cazador even more seriously. He wasn’t about to lose his freedom, not now that he finally had some small taste of it. 

It didn’t hurt to be more suspicious of everyone he encountered, even the sweetling Tav. Anyone could be an operative sent by Cazador, and the best ones would be as skilled as he was in the art of manipulation. It was well-known at this point that the person he’d grown the closest to on their journey was their brave party leader, Tav. Unlikely as it may be that she was scheming for his master, Astarion’s paranoia wouldn’t let him indulge in interactions with her a second longer unless he knew how she truly felt. 

Given Gale’s hesitation, Astarion knew he would have to kick his acting up a notch. Press on that wizard’s heartstrings. Touch the one nerve he knew he was sensitive to.

“Gale, darling, from one literally damaged soul to another, indulge me just this once,” Astarion beseeched him. 

The wizard glared at him a moment, before finally relenting with a heavy sigh. “Fine. Fine. But I want it known that I don’t agree with this so-called solution one whit,” he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Yes, yes, noted and formally documented, on my word as a former Baldurian magistrate,” Astarion replied cheerily. “So, let’s hop to it then, shall we?”

“What, right now?” Gale asked, shocked. “Shouldn’t we be, I don’t know, a little less conspicuous?” 

“What better time than now?” Astarion responded. “Tav’s out gathering firewood with Wyll and Karlach. They won’t be back for some time. As for Lae’zel and Shadowheart, well…” he paused, gesturing over his shoulder. 

Said two were engaged in a heated sparring session on the outskirts of the camp. Snarls and curses could be heard emanating from both warriors as they tried, and failed, to gain the upper hand against their opponent.

“That lovers’ dance could go on until morning,” Astarion finished. 

“Fair point,” Gale admitted begrudgingly, grimacing at the sound of swords clashing violently. “Very well. Let’s get started.” 

Clearing his throat, Gale began to utter a series of phrases completely foreign to Astarion. He watched as the wizard began moving his hands in a wavelike pattern, forming a circle before them. Suddenly, a mist began to form from seemingly thin air, taking shape according to the boundaries Gale’s hands were creating. The mist grew more and more opaque until it appeared before them like a clouded mirror. 

As the fogginess of the ethereal magic began to clear, the “mirror” became a confusing blur of scenes whipping by, too fast for Astarion or Gale to really comprehend. There were flashes of Tav and Astarion, together and separate, but they disappeared too quickly to ascertain their context. It was as though the spell was shuffling through the entirety of Tav’s thoughts, assessing each one at breakneck speed. 

Finally, the spell slowed to a halt, stopping on one scene in particular. Astarion was struck speechless by what began playing out in the foggy portal before them. So distracted, he didn’t even notice Gale’s tight cough, or how the wizard suddenly became intensely interested in a copse of trees nearby, rather than the revelation the spell was revealing.

Not that the scene was especially profound, objectively speaking. In fact, to anyone else, it might be viewed as the least revelatory thing possible that the spell could have shown. Boring. Inconsequential, even. But to Astarion, it was almost earth shattering. 

He saw himself - he could see his face! - with Tav, lying tangled together in some immaculate four-poster bed. 

That was the first shock that coursed through him, nearly causing his knees to buckle. He was seeing himself for the first time in over 200 years. Or at least, he was seeing himself as Tav saw him. And… the person he saw… Well, he was gorgeous. White blonde locks, curled and tousled in a devil-may-care sort of way. A strong, patrician nose that suggested good breeding. High, sharp cheekbones. Full lips, upturned in a thoughtless grin. Red eyes bordered by long, sweeping lashes. Delicately pointed elven ears. Smooth alabaster skin, without blemish or spot. 

Astarion could scarcely believe his own eyes. 

The second shock to his system was the nature of their activities. He would have been less surprised had the vision shown them fucking. Him taking her roughly from behind perhaps. His name a cry of ecstasy from her lips as he pistoned in and out of her with a feral sort of determination. 

Fantasies of lust, of total domination, now those were things he was familiar with inspiring in the minds of the victims he had taken as lovers. It was what he strove for, in all honesty. Desire like that all but ensured he would capture his prey and live to serve another day for his master. 

But nothing of the sort was occurring between vision-Tav and himself. Instead, they were just… embracing? What in sweet hells was this?

She lay halfway on top of him. Her hair was mussed, perhaps from sleep or perhaps from previous lovemaking. One hand was drawing absentminded shapes across his chest, her lips trailing behind, leaving kisses in their wake. He watched as vision-Astarion chuckled softly, as his hands slipped beneath her sleepshirt to caress her waist, as he placed an innocent kiss on the top of Tav’s head. Eventually, she reached for his hand. They both watched their fingers intertwine, blissfully content.

It was the purest, unadulterated expression of affection that Astarion had ever seen. Something in his heart quaked at the sight of it. He wanted that moment. He envied, he hated, vision-Astarion for enjoying such apparent happiness.

So absorbed in the vision and its implications, Astarion failed to notice the soft padding of feet that indicated someone’s re-entry into the camp. 

“If the two of you are quite finished poking around in my head,” an angry voice suddenly spat from behind them, “I’d appreciate you preserving what little privacy I have left and shutting that damn spell off.”

Mortified, Astarion and Gale turned to see Tav, arms crossed and visibly seething with rage. Gale quickly dispelled the magic with a flick of his wrist. A blush was slowly but surely rising up Tav’s neck to reach her cheeks. Whether from rage or embarrassment, Astarion couldn’t be certain. 

“Tav, let us explain-” Astarion started.

“It was his idea-” Gale blurted at the same time, pointing at Astarion. 

Both paused, glaring at one another. But Tav would have none of their feeble attempts at backpedaling. 

“The explanation doesn’t matter. Whose idea it was doesn’t matter. The fact is that both of you violated the privacy of my mind, which I’ll remind you, has ALREADY been violated by having a bloody tadpole forced inside of it!” Tav shouted. At their words, the camp became enveloped in a heavy silence. Even the crickets ceased their chirping.

Astarion cringed inwardly, knowing the other party members could plainly hear this altercation and had likely stopped whatever it was that they had been doing to listen in. He noted the sounds of swords clanging together had ceased. He was certain Lae’zel and Shadowheart at least were aware of what was happening. Nosy bastards, all of them.

But what disturbed him even more was the realization that Tav’s eyes were welling with tears. She was too proud to acknowledge them or wipe them away. Such was her nature. But they were there nonetheless, and the knowledge that Astarion had brought her to the point of tears was enough to spur a rush of utter self-loathing inside him.

Without another word, Tav turned on her heel and marched stiffly out of camp, toward the direction of a nearby creek they’d identified as a water source earlier in the day.

“I can’t believe I let you convince me to perform that spell,” Gale said as she disappeared between the trees. He dragged his hands down his face. 

“How could we have been so doltish, forgetting that all of our privacies have already been violated with this tadpole business?”

Astarion didn’t have an answer to that. At least, not one the wizard could possibly understand. 

The thought hadn’t occurred to Astarion, he realized, because violations of privacy had been something so intrinsic to his being for over 200 years. He didn’t even recognize it as something abnormal. Like a fish unaware that the water surrounding it is, in fact, water. 

Violations of privacy were a part of life, at least for him. So much so that his request for Gale to perform that magic hadn’t even occurred to him as an overstepping of boundaries. To Astarion, it had simply been a matter of survival. He had needed to know another potentially manipulative person’s true intentions, and so he had found a means to uncover it and maintain the upper hand. 

Belatedly, he also realized that Gale’s hesitation to cast the spell had had nothing to do with being inconvenienced for the evening, but because the wizard had known that it was improper to do to another person. If he had misread that, Astarion wondered, then what other truly benevolent behaviors had he mistaken as pragmatic manipulation?

“I need to go find her,” Astarion murmured, clenching and unclenching his fists in an uncharacteristic fit of uncertainty. 

“Yes, you do,” Gale asserted. “We both owe her a sincere apology… if she’ll even accept it.”

“I’ll see if I can convince her to come back to camp,” Astarion replied, making to leave in the direction Tav had stormed off. 

“Wait,” Gale said, a hand on his shoulder. Astarion turned to meet his gaze. 

“Look, well, I’m obviously not an expert in healthy demonstrations of affection. But I do think it’s obvious from what you saw in that spell that Tav well and truly cares about you. In perhaps the purest way possible. Treat that carefully.”

Part of Astarion wanted to laugh aloud in utter hopelessness at the wizard’s advice. Someone cared for him? Truly and purely? No hidden games, no strings attached? Oh certainly, that wouldn’t be a problem for Astarion at all. Obviously, his 200-year existence as a master-manipulator-fetch-hound for a power-hungry vampire lord had perfectly prepared him to respond to this situation in a healthy manner. Obviously.

But all that was too much to reveal to someone he barely knew and too heavy to say aloud. Rather than giving some smarmy retort, Astarion opted instead to give a stiff nod and continue walking toward the edge of camp. He had no idea how he could make things right with Tav, but at the very least he could try. 

***

He found Tav sitting on a fallen tree near the edge of the creek bed. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around them as she rested a cheek to her knees. In the waning twilight, she reminded Astarion of some misbegotten gargoyle perched on the roof of a temple, solitary and so very sad. 

Her ears twitched as she noted his arrival. Astarion wasn’t trying to be stealthy. On top of everything else, the last thing he needed to do was scare her. 

“Can I join you?” he asked softly, wincing to himself at the awkwardness of the question. 

The reality was that there was no way to broach this conversation without some stilted beginning, and he hated it. Navigating tricky conversations was normally something he excelled at. But as he was quickly finding, when it related to Tav, nothing in his past life had prepared him to respond to her well. 

“If you’d like,” Tav answered tonelessly. 

Knowing it was probably the best response he was going to get, Astarion swallowed thickly and moved to sit down on the log next to her. 

“I… wanted to… apologize for what you saw, back at camp,” he began.

“Apologize for doing it, or apologize for getting caught?” Tav asked as she turned her head to look at him, resting her other cheek on her knees. 

Astarion balked at the question. Her piercing gaze unnerved him. He hadn’t really thought that far. 

“Both, I suppose?” he answered honestly, although it sounded more like a question to Tav. She huffed a laugh.

“You know, part of me really wants to yell at you. Scream in your face. Tell you off proper,” she mused.

“So why don’t you?” Astarion asked, perplexed. 

Tav didn’t respond at first, just sat there studying him. As if by staring at him long enough, she could project the answer into his mind. 

Astarion didn’t interrupt her, much as he would have liked to. Part of him always bristled when people gazed at him for too long. It was unfair that they could study him, when he hadn’t been able to so much as glance at his reflection in over 200 years. 

Finally, Tav released a heavy sigh, her body curling further in on itself. She closed her eyes as she spoke.

“Because then I would be just like every other bastard in your life who’s mistreated you.”

Astarion flinched in surprise. Those had not been the sort of words he’d been expecting. The truth of them cut deeper than had she raged at him like she wanted to. It left him feeling even more vulnerable, and that in turn made him want to retreat into the comfort of viciousness.

“I don’t need you to pull any punches,” he scoffed, glaring at her. “Go ahead and say what you will.”

She straightened up at his tone, opening her eyes and returning his glare. 

“No. I don’t want to,” she said testily.

“I don’t need your pity,” he hissed. “It’s insulting.”

“Gods damn it all, Astarion!” Tav exclaimed suddenly, causing him to jump in surprise. She threw her hands up in defeat. “I’m not doing anything out of pity! I don’t want to rage at you, because I know that whatever I say right now, I won’t mean it come the morning!”

Astarion blinked. Once again he was left feeling flat footed by the turn of the conversation. Sensing his surprise, Tav continued on with her deluge of words.

“You hurt me tonight, and I’m angry at you - and at Gale, for that matter - for what you did. But you’ve shared enough of your… history… with me, that I realize your behavior is just… just a byproduct of centuries of abuse and manipulation you’ve endured! And I won’t be another abuser in your life. I won’t,” she asserted. 

Astarion continued staring at her, as if she were some otherworldly creature that had just wandered across his path. He watched as Tav inhaled a deep breath, releasing it shakily. She turned away from him to peer out into the forest, uncertain. She opened and closed her mouth several times before actually speaking. As if whatever she was about to say was more intimidating to her than anything else she’d said tonight. 

“I… care deeply for you, Astarion,” she said quietly. “You obviously saw that in the vision. I’m not playing any games. There’s no hidden motive. I’m not trying to manipulate you.”

She turned to look at him again before continuing, her breathing a bit unsteady. 

“I didn’t sleep with you that night of the tiefling party as some sort of maneuver to gain your trust. Although I understand if that was your motivation for doing so.” 

Astarion’s expression morphed into one of guilt. But Tav nodded soberly, as if she had already expected it, before continuing on. 

“It’s okay. I’m not angry. But I’m putting all my cards on the table now, so to speak. Actually, your decision tonight forced my hand, but I had been planning on telling you soon anyway. So, there you have it. The truth of my intentions. What you do with that information is up to you.”

She turned back to gaze out at their surroundings. Like she was giving him the opportunity to bolt away without her watching him. As if she expected him to flee from her confession. 

But Astarion didn’t flee. He remained seated, staring at her in complete wonderment. 

“Why?” he asked quietly.

She looked back at him again, confusion evident on her face. 

“Why what?”

“Why do you care for me? You’re so… well-adjusted. And I’m well… this,” he finished lamely, placing a hand on his chest. 

Tav pursed her lips. “It would be a mistake to misconstrue my empathy for you as me being well-adjusted. Everyone has their own demons, Astarion,” she murmured. “Mine just look different from yours.”

Astarion mulled her words over in his mind, considering them. He leaned forward to brace his forearms on his knees, his head drooping slightly. 

“I…,” he started, unsure. “That vision… what it implied… You deserve something real, Tav. You’re incredible… truly.” 

Tav closed her eyes, bracing for the fallout. Even though she would accept his decision, whatever it was, she didn’t think she could bear to watch him deny her. It would hurt too much. 

“Look. When we met, I had a plan. A nice, simple plan,” he blurted all at once. Rising swiftly to his feet, Tav watched as he began to pace before her, near to bursting with frenetic energy. 

“Seduce you, sleep with you, manipulate your feelings so you’d never turn on me,” he counted off, laughing half-heartedly. “It was… easy - instinctive. Habits from two hundred years of charming people kicked in. All you had to do was fall for it. And all I had to do… was not fall for you… which is where my nice, simple plan fell apart,” he finished, stopping to stand before her. 

She held his gaze, speechless. 

“I want you,” he whispered fervently. “I want what was in that vision… I want us to be something real.”

Never in a million years had she thought he would respond to her like this. She opened her mouth to speak, but Astarion cut her off with another sudden exclamation. 

“I just don’t know what real is,” he confessed, his tone a touch hysterical. Tav knew from his body language that being this transparent was completely out of Astarion’s comfort zone. 

“Being… close to someone - any kind of intimacy - was something I performed to lure people back. For him. Even though I know things between us are different, being with someone still feels… tainted. Still brings up those feelings of disgust, and loathing. I… I don’t know how else to be with someone. No matter how much I’d like to,” he finished, staring at her with beseeching eyes, willing her to understand.

Tav rose to her feet, coming to stand before him. 

“I don’t want you for your body,” she whispered. “Or to perform any acts of intimacy. We can be together, without sleeping together, for as long as you need.”

“Really,” he asked softly, his voice pitched low, rough with emotion.

“Really,” Tav asserted, giving him a small smile. “Would it be all right if…” she paused, conflicted. He eyed her curiously.

“Could I hug you?” she whispered.

The fact that she asked before doing so caused a well of emotion to spring up inside him. Eyes watering, Astarion nodded. 

Slowly, Tav moved forward to wrap her arms around his waist. Her head nestled into the crook of his neck and shoulder. A perfect fit. He felt her exhale a deep sigh.

Tav hugging him was a sensation unlike any he had ever felt. At least, any he could remember feeling. The act of being touched, embraced, without any desire for something more. She just wanted to hold him, feel him close to her. It was incomprehensible to him, but utterly enjoyable, at the same time. 

Slowly, ever so slowly, Astarion raised his arms to return Tav’s embrace. Drawing her even closer, he bowed his head to rest his cheek against her hair. It was soft, like the finest silk. He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, appreciating her sweet, floral scent.   

She made to pull away after a moment, not wishing to overwhelm him. But Astarion gripped her more firmly, a silent urge for them to stay that way a little longer. 

“This… this is nice,” he whispered. 

He both felt and heard Tav hum contentedly in response. 

It wasn’t identical to the vision from Tav’s mind that he had seen, but Astarion reveled in their embrace nonetheless. It felt like the beginning of something new. And for the first time in his very, very long life, Astarion felt excited at the prospects of what would come next. 

[ainspams]

Y’all liked my “actually Emmrich is a good bf choice” analysis so here’s one for mi vida Luca

Yk how people say cats liking you is the perfect test of understanding consent? That’s what Lucanis is.

Man was literally in the trenches, had the threat of his blood taken hostage over his head AND a Spirit implanted into him. Of COURSE he would take a hot minute to trust anyone.

I believe The Rooks who truly romance him must have a special archetype of being outrageously patient but also very communicative.

As one of the best Crows, Lucanis is used to making clever assumptions. It’s how he knows the team disturbingly well. Because of this, he knows people don’t trust him, shouldn’t trust him.

And to a certain extent, he would be right. Most people would be offended that he seems to flirt but keep turning away (see the almost-kiss scene).

But we all know Rook isn’t most people. Rook can be irrationally unhinged but Lucanis’s Rook can also see through and accept Lucanis’ need for space.

The whole first half of the “romance”, Lucanis tries to flirt while also second-guessing his actions and Rook’s reactions. He overanalyses and smacks his own head when he reviews his self-rejections and realises Rook IS responding positively.

And every time, he comes closer to believing Rook does reciprocate his flirting. It comes out in his expressions, it comes out in his speech.

Making Rook’s favourite dessert was the first time he genuinely tested his theory that maybe Rook does like him. But at the same time, he makes enough dessert for the whole team so if Rook does reject him, he can settle for having AT LEAST made something nice for the whole team.

When Rook spells out that they see Lucanis making their favourite dessert, Lucanis still tries to wave it off as they also made it for the team. But then Rook specifically mentions that obviously they know Lucanis would make enough for the team, but he made Rook’s favourite dessert.

Remember how he is still struggling to accept Spite himself? Rook and Emmrich are the few people who accept Spite as a part of Lucanis, that Spite exposes the rawest emotions of Lucanis. Although Emmrich does see Spite as its own being like Taash, Emmrich treats Spite like its own independent person.

Meanwhile, Taash treats Spite like a petulant child that needs taming, Harding and Neve are confusedly anxious, and Davrin is only half-joking about killing Lucanis if Spite takes over. (Expanding on the Neve-Lucanis romance later)

The coffee date where we “confirm” the romance? Rook sees Lucanis serving Spite his own cup and is pretty much like “yk what? hell yea”. Rook has always treated Spite as a part of Lucanis, and has partially made Lucanis Lucanis. I like to think the Lucanis who accepts Spite is the best one.

This is also what sets Rookanis separately from Neve/Lucanis. In the love scene, Spite brings out the wings. It’s a part of the love scene. Rook reassures Lucanis later that if Spite does come out when Lucanis is sleeping, Rook is more than comfortable entertaining/socialising with Spite.

In contrast, Lucanis sends Spite away if he and Neve spend spicy time together.

Yes, Rook sees Lucanis as a talented rich kid who deserves his Demon of Vyrantium reputation. But Lucanis’ Rook also sees him as the orphaned grandson of the most powerful Talon who feels like he had to perfectly embody the Dellamorte name at all times. Lucanis’ Rook has seen how Spite takes over, Spite’s powers especially nearly killing Illario, and still goes “that’s my man 🙂‍↕️”

One Emmrich-Lucanis banter moment has him confessing he has NO IDEA what Rook sees in him. Him - First Talon, Dellamorte’s favourite grandson, rich enough to have an in-house opera house, with all the charm and fitness of being the Demon of Vyrantium - confused that Rook allows him to feel like he is losing hours of his life because he wants to spend even more time with them? 😭

Unlike most romances (most similarly FenrisHawke and EmmrichRook), Rookanis has to work through the male LI’s traumas/flaws because that sets the foundation for the romance to bloom. The male LI’s main flaw (Emmrich’s age, Fenris’s lyrium-related slave past, Lucanis’ kidnapping + Dellamorte name + Spite) has made them believe it would be near-impossible to find someone who loves them at that point. But Hawke/Rook does anyway.